Christmas 2012 Reflections - St. Joseph`s Catholic Church

S T. J O S E P H’ S
Reflections
CHRISTMAS 2012
FOR SAINT JOSEPH’S PARISH COMMUNITY
VOL. XIX, ISSUE III
I
n the real estate business, they say, “location, location, location.” In the word,
business, our understanding of “context, context, context” is important.
“Yes” is merely a three-letter word without a context. “No” is just a twoletter sound without a context. It is in the context of those two monosyllables we
find meaning, depth, and consequence. There have been many strategic, famous,
infamous, positive, negative, and notorious utterances of “yes” and “no” since the
beginning of time.
So, you might ask: “What on earth is the context of the above paragraph?” Well,
I was thinking of the upcoming Christmas Eve and the ones of many years ago.
Remember how that timeless hymn, “Adeste Fideles” (“O Come All Ye Faithful”),
inevitably opened the Christmas Liturgy? It seemed all choir members were present
and in top form. The congregation was in full voice. The experience was truly
transformative. Advent is over. The joyous feast of Christmas has begun.
We will hear and join in this nostalgic hymn again this Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day. “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” An unconditional “yes” must be
our answer. Of course we will “come.” To whom else shall we go? He is the Christ,
the Son of the Living God. He is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Our “Yes” is the only Christmas gift He desires.
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There is another exemplary “yes” we should call to mind. Without it, there would
not be a Christmas. In the most unusual of circumstances, Mary, the Mother of
Jesus, said “yes.” With faith and humility, her
response to the Angel Gabriel was a simple
“Be it done unto me according to your word.”
Message from Father Dan
The innkeeper offered shelter, primitive as it was.
The shepherds came in awe and adoration. The
three kings brought precious gifts. You and I will
prayerfully reflect on this extraordinary event of
God’s lifesaving intervention in history and offer
the only appropriate gift. Wrapped in deep faith,
sincere humility, and commitment to the end,
we will again offer our unconditional “yes” to
everything this Jesus is about.
May this Christmas be its fullness of meaning and
blessings for all.
Father Dan
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the LORD.
Murillo, Bartolomé Esteban. The Adoration of the Shepherds. Oil on canvas. 1650-1655. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain
School News
CHRISTMAS 2012
SAVE THE DATE!
St. Joseph School’s Starry Night
Auction Celebrates Mardi Gras
F E B RUA RY 9 , 2 0 1 3
By Jackie Roberts
A wonderful team of dedicated volunteers is actively planning St. Joseph
Catholic School’s Annual Starry Night Auction, scheduled for February
9, 2013. Every year, parents, faculty, parishioners, friends, and neighbors
all come together to attend one of the most fun-filled and beneficial
evenings on the school calendar. The proceeds earned from this yearly
event are used to defray the costs involved in obtaining required updated
curriculum for the school.
St. Joseph is very proud of its academic achievements and the quality of
students produced here. St. Joseph students leave extremely well prepared
to handle the challenges of high school and beyond. In order to maintain
that academic excellence, the school must stay current with educational
information, providing students and teachers with the best tools possible.
The school researches and purchases a new curriculum for a particular
subject each year. A complete curriculum, consisting of teacher’s guides,
student workbooks, textbooks, and necessary resource materials, typically
costs a minimum of $75,000. The annual Starry Night Auction is our
way of bringing the St. Joseph community together for a night of fun that
supports an incredibly beneficial cause – our children’s education.
This will be the 9th year St. Joseph Catholic School hosts this event. Each
year, the auction gets bigger and better, and this year’s auction is shaping
up to be the best one yet. We are excited to announce our outrageously
fun and festive theme for this year: St. Joseph Catholic School’s Starry
Night Auction Celebrates . . .
Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” is celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash
Wednesday. It’s your last chance to indulge before the Lenten season
begins. America celebrated its first Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 1703.
The street processions of maskers with carriages, horseback riders, dazzling
gaslight torches, as well as the dazzling floats and masked balls bring magic
and mystery to all who experience its extravagance. The carnival colors of
purple for justice, gold for power, and green for faith were instituted and
continue to bring excitement and vibrancy to this celebration. There’s no
mistaking the colors, beauty, and splendor of Mardi Gras.
We hope you’ll bring friends and neighbors and join us on February
9, 2013, as we transform the school’s gymnasium into an exhilarating
atmosphere of Mardi Gras. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. There will be
dinner, dancing, and an enormous array of fantastic items up for bid in
our silent auction. Likewise, tremendous trips, one-of-a-kind student art
projects, and unique items will be up for bid in our always dynamic and
entertaining live auction.
Please contact Cecile Fung at 268-6688 if you would like more
information on the event and how to purchase tickets, would like to
donate an item or service, or would like to become a Silver ($250), Gold
($500), or Platinum ($1,000) sponsor. Sponsorships include multiple
tickets to the event depending on the sponsorship level. We look forward
to seeing you there!
2
Thank you St. Joseph’s!
By Lisa Cernik
In Loving Memory of
Robert Frances Cernik II
March 18, 1970 - June 15, 2012
In the summer of 2010, while looking on the diocesan
website, I stumbled upon an employment opportunity at
St. Joseph’s. My fiancé, Robert, was looking for work at
the time and the job description sounded like a good fit for
him. However, he was a bit late in applying and was told that enough applicants
had already applied. For some reason though, Fr. Cody allowed just one more, and
it wasn’t long before Robert found out he had the job.
Robert had just joined the Catholic Church that Easter, so he felt blessed to be
working for the Church he was beginning to love. He sensed that God had been
calling him for a few years but, until then, wasn’t sure which church was the right
fit. During the process of initiation into the Church, he realized he had been
baptized Catholic as a baby, which previously never meant much to him but now,
on his spiritual journey in the Catholic
Church, meant he was home.
He worked in maintenance at St. Joseph’s
and therefore was able to meet and know
a great many people in the community in
various ministries and the school, and he
truly came to love it there. He also was
able to spend ample time with Fr. Cody
and loved becoming such close friends
with him. So, not only was he blessed with work he absolutely loved, he was also
blessed with a loving and caring faith community who would help build his newly
found faith.
In the fall of the same year, we married, and shortly thereafter were expecting a
baby. It was about two months later when Robert started having health problems.
By the same time the following year, Robert
had undergone eight surgeries, numerous
medical tests, and had been diagnosed with
a hereditary, degenerative, neurological
condition. He received so much support from
so many at the church. During this time, St.
Joseph’s stood by him, keeping him employed,
although he missed an incredible amount
of time working due to all of the medical
problems and surgeries. In the fall of 2011, since he could no longer perform the
duties required of his position, he had to leave his beloved St. Joe’s.
This is for everyone at St. Joseph’s. Robert loved not only working there, but
attending Mass there, and especially just being a part of a wonderful community
that he had never experienced before. He loved the church, the people, the staff,
and his job. He had a very loving, giving heart, and this was a place where he
could be himself and do what he loved. We were able to witness the uniqueness of
the community and incredible generosity and kindness of so many people. Thank
you to those he worked with: Q, Don, Jerry, Chris, Dodi, Kathy, Jackie, Carron,
Eileen, Deacon Moe, Deacon Finis, Father Anthony, Father Bernie, and especially
Father Cody for giving him a chance and being such a wonderful friend. He
really thought the world of you. Thanks also to Dee Surmitis, Ken and Shelley
Shannon, the Knights, the Men’s Club, Divine Mercy House, and all those who
knew him for such a short time, whose names escape me now, but who kept him
going and smiling that year at St. Joseph’s. I believe, due to his experience there,
he was able to continue being his usual cheerful, jovial, giving, and loving self
throughout his incredible pain and suffering. A million “thank yous!”
Ministry News
CHRISTMAS 2012
3
Parish Medical Mission – 2013 Mission Update
In the nine years our
parish has been involved
in medical missions to
Honduras, our medical
professional parishioners
and parishioner helpers
have served the health
needs of many poor people
in Honduras, especially in
the poor mountain villages
of the Yoro Province. By the
time we return home from
Honduras on February 10,
2013, we will have given
health care to over 20,000
poor people in those nine years. Praise God!
We need a ministry to donate new reading glasses,
as we distribute over 600 pair per mission. The older
people need these glasses to read their Bibles and
prayer cards, sew, mend fishing nets, and make repairs
to the few items they own.
Greg
Hemsoth
This coming mission journey to Honduras will be
eleven days, starting on January 31. We have been
asked to extend our humanitarian work by visiting a
poor village on the coast that is in dire need of health
care, especially for babies and mothers. Our medical
team gives health and dental care in the villages to over
400 people daily, and sometimes we help over 600
poor people in one day. After three days at the coast,
we will once again go to the mountain province of
Yoro. With God’s Help, we have made much progress
in improving the health care of the poor people in the
over 45 rural villages we have served over the years in
various parts of Honduras.
On these yearly missions, we need more medical
professionals and nonmedical helpers to join
our teams. You do not
need to speak Spanish
to join our team. Please
refer to the 2012 Easter
Edition of Reflections. It
has a wonderful, six-page
spread with stories and
photos to give you a feel
for what we do to help
the poor people receive
better health care.
We also need the help of other ministries to continue
our efforts in this medical mission work. Over 75%
of the Honduran population live in great poverty.
Please pray for them.
One wonderful ministry assisting us is our very
own CCW. They collect toothbrushes and tubes of
toothpaste for our medical mission. Other SJCC
ministries make rosaries for us to give to the poor.
Many parishioners donate money to help us buy
medicines for the poor people of Honduras. This
year, our PREP classes will be helping with donations.
We thank everyone for their help. Without your help,
we could not have a mission. You are indeed our
faithful “at-home” missionaries. We thank God for
your efforts and ask Him to bless you.
Please continue praying that our Parish Medical
Mission team will be blessed by God with time, talent,
and treasure from our “at-home” missionaries who
join our team and send us forth with donations and
prayers. It is not too late to join us for this upcoming
mission. Call Greg today.
Each volunteer pays approximately $1,700 for ground
and air travel, lodging,
immunizations, food, and
mission expenses. That
does not leave any money
for the medicines we need.
We usually have two dozen
people on each medical
mission team. Lately, we
have had some medical
professionals and helpers
in Honduras join our team
when we arrive, so our
“team” grows to about thirty dedicated volunteers.
These Hondurans pay nothing, except their time and
talent, which is a blessing to us.
and adults of Honduras. Each
medical mission to Honduras
costs about $25,000.
Please pray for us and our
medical mission. If are able
to assist with any donations,
please contact Greg Hemsoth
at [email protected] or
904.262.0002, ext 3. You may
also mail a check made payable
to: Friends of the Missions, Inc.,
2643 Tacito Trail, Jacksonville,
FL 32223. “Friends” is a 501 (c) (3) Not-For-Profit
group and your donation is tax deductible. You will
receive a thank you letter for tax purposes and a
Mass will be said for you. Thank you, in advance, for
helping us.
Has anyone from Honduras prayed for you and your
intentions? We do that daily for the people who send
us donations. Any amount is welcome and it is only
used to buy medicines for the poor people. Our
average donation is $35, so we need about 300 people
donating $35 each for us to have enough to buy the
medicines we need.
We also offer sponsorships for our mission. To sponsor
the entire mission, the donation amount is $2,500. To
sponsor one day of the mission, the amount is $500.
Perhaps your company, community group, or ministry
would like to sponsor part of our humanitarian
medical mission. You may select the day you want,
starting January 31 through February 10. The CCW
has already selected Tuesday, February 5 for their day.
That day, we will be praying for the CCW. We would
greatly appreciate more of you following the lead of the
CCW and of last year’s Day Sponsors. We love praying
for our donors and sponsors.
We praise God for showing us how to love the poor
people through our service to them.
Proceeds from our fund raising is way down from
past years. I’m begging here; we need your help! Our
goal each year is to raise between $8,000 and $10,000
to buy much needed, vital medicines for the poor
people. Can you help us now? Our need for funds
is great, so please consider helping the poor children
If you have any questions, please contact Greg soon
as we are finalizing our plans for this medical mission
to Honduras. Please note we are still accepting
medical professionals and helpers for our team. Our
second team meeting will be held Sunday, January 6,
from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Cody Center. You’re
welcome to come, ask questions, and get involved
with helping people in a poor third-world country
to receive better health care.
Thank you for your caring hearts and for helping the
Lord to do His work with the poor people.
Ministry News
CHRISTMAS 2012
4
Our Loving Little Angels
In the story of the Littlest Angel, Michael, Heaven’s youngest angel,
wanted to return home to earth to get his special box. It held all his
earthly treasures. Once it was returned to him, he decided to give
it to the baby Jesus on the night of his birth. He was
very afraid that it wouldn’t be special enough and that
the Baby Jesus wouldn’t like it. Jesus thought it was
a very special gift indeed! He loved it so much that it
glowed with His love and appeared as a brilliant star
for all to see, the Star of Bethlehem.
Mandarin Food Bank has been extremely blessed with
our own little angels. Since we opened our ministry,
children have played a major role in its mission to
serve those in need in the Mandarin community.
Children have a unique way of getting to the heart
of the problem, and their solutions reflect their
wonderful ability to offer pure and simple answers to
sometimes quite complex problems.
Often, the idea comes directly from the child. The first year of
operation, a little eight-year-old girl asked her mother if she could
give all of her birthday gifts to the children of the food bank. Since
then, many children have demonstrated the same compassion for
others by sharing their own birthday with needy children and their
families. The food bank gives the gifts collected by these very special
children to children of client families who are celebrating a birthday
in the month of their parent’s visit. We also give a birthday cake, or a
gift certificate for ice cream and cake, as well as a birthday card made
with love by our caring special children.
Sometimes, the children hear of a problem and take action to
correct it. One young man heard of our storage problems and
decided to convert a very small room into a very roomy storage
closet as his Eagle Scout Project. Recently, another Eagle Scout
transformed our clothes closet into a well-organized and attractive
place for our clients. We have had children work on projects as
varied as painting our new addition to digging potatoes on a very
hot summer day.
Children donate their allowance, operate lemonade stands, bake
brownies, and conduct food drives. These drives often come when
our shelves are quite empty. They are very important to our operation.
We have been very blessed by the enthusiastic contributions from
the school children of the Mandarin community. Most of the
elementary and middle schools from our area have found ways to
help our ministry. Home-school children are helping on a regular
basis. Some of them come during closed hours and pack the nonperishable bags we dispense to every family. Some of the homeschool children come very early in the morning to help pack our
produce and bread bags. All of these activities are essential to the
day-to-day operation of the food bank.
We must also mention our “teen angels” who are ever involved.
High school students provide numerous truckloads of canned
food during the busy holidays. When they found out the food
bank needed help packing our walk-in freezer with
250 turkeys, the Mandarin Mustangs made a party
of it. Our first “turkey toss” proved to be so much
fun for the players, teachers, and the food bank staff
that they continued doing it for over fifteen years!
The Video Class of Mandarin High tackled the task
of producing a number of informational videos that
we are able to use in our life skills classes.
A child’s ingenuity is superseded only by her
enthusiasm. On any Saturday morning, you will
likely find a few children volunteering their time
at the food bank. Always accompanied by a parent
or grandparent, these little angels grow up learning
what it really means to “love thy neighbor.” They
are an inspiration. Many of them have gone on to
college and have become loving and caring adult volunteers.
We have received many donations of time and money and
products. We are extremely grateful for all of them. But the
donations that touch our hearts the most are the ones that come
from children.
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me” (Mark 10:14). On a
very cold morning, about two days before Christmas, I went to
the food bank to help another volunteer and her children find
some food and gifts for a small family. There wasn’t much left
because we had given out most of our food the day before, on
Christmas Giveaway Day. As I began to pack the bags of food, the
young boy who was volunteering came up to me and asked, “Will
you please give this to the little boy?” He was holding his own
coat. “Thank you sweetheart,” I said, “but you need that coat. It’s
very cold outside. I’m sure we will find something warm for him
to wear.” By this time, his mother was beside him. “It’s okay,” she
said, “we talked about it. He has a really nice one from last year,
and it will keep him plenty warm.” And so we loaded their old car
with as much of the toys, food, and cake
we could find. As they left, one very warm
little boy waved and called out, “Thank
you . . . Merry Christmas!”
The gifts our little angels give to the food
bank are from children like Michael,
heaven’s littlest angel, who want to share
their Love of Jesus. And Jesus is so grateful
for these gifts, his love takes up a joyful
and hopeful place that glows in the hearts
of its recipients.
Bonnie
McNulty
Respect Life
CHRISTMAS 2012
5
Respect-Life News
LIFE CHAIN – For one hour on Sunday, October 7, over
70 St. Joseph’s parishioners lined the sidewalks in front of the
Cody Enrichment Center and stood as witnesses for life. The
group prayed a Rosary and a Chaplet of Divine Mercy while
waving at the traffic. The waves were answered by reciprocated
waves, thumbs up, or
honked horns. There
were a couple of other
gestures, but generally
people either expressed
support for the prolife message or tried
very hard to ignore
the cheerful throng of
pro-lifers. There was
another group, just
a few feet away in the prayer chapel, praying in the physical
presence of our Lord at Adoration for an end to abortion.
Deacon Chris Supple concluded the event with Benediction
and a few words of encouragement.
The Life Chain is an annual event that takes place in cities across
the country. There were several Life Chains in the Jacksonville
area which drew hundreds of pro-life supports from all faiths.
Thank you all who took the time to make a stand for life. Who
knows how many people saw your witness and will one day
make the right decision for the life of their unborn child?
RESPECT-LIFE CONFERENCE – The Florida Bishops’
Annual Respect-Life conference was held at the Cody
Enrichment Center, October 12
- 13 and drew over two hundred
and fifty participants from
across the state. Speakers at the
conference included our own
Bishop Estévez; Bishop Thomas
Olmsted from the Diocese of
Phoenix; Bishop Emeritus John
Snyder; and Austin Ruse, President of Catholic Family &
Human Rights Institute (C-FAM).
During the conference, over one hundred teenagers attended the
youth track with speakers and activities across the street in the
school gym. After 5:30 p.m. Mass, the youth enjoyed dinner and
then a concert that evening by the group, Love Come Alive. Our
high school teens seemed to have enjoyed the event.
HHS MANDATE PETITION – Thank you all who signed
the petition asking Senator Nelson to actively and publicly
oppose the HHS mandate that will force Catholic institutions
and business owners to violate Catholic teaching by providing
health care plans which include contraceptive and abortifacient
drug coverage or suffer crippling fines. The petition, with 1066
signatures from our parish, was hand delivered to the senator’s
Jacksonville office with the request for a reply from Senator
Nelson. Not surprisingly, we never received one.
MARCH FOR LIFE, St. Augustine, Saturday, January 19, 2013
– This is the largest
annual pro-life event
in Florida and draws
participants from all
over the state. The
March begins with
prayers and speakers at
11:00 a.m. in front of
the great cross behind
the Mission Nombre de Dios and peacefully proceeds down San
Marco Avenue and St.
George Street to the
public plaza across
from the Cathedral.
There will be a youth
barbecue at the Great
Cross on Friday night
beginning at 6pm.
This whole event is
awesome, and all are
encouraged to attend.
SATURDAY MORNINGS – The St. Joseph’s Respect-Life
Committee peacefully and prayerfully demonstrates in front
of an abortion clinic on Saturday mornings from 8:00 until
9:00 a.m. On the first Saturday of each month, we meet in the
parking lot of the historic church after 8:00 Mass to car pool to
the abortion site and picket from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m. We are
out at the location for only one or two hours, so please consider
joining us. Your standing there, being a witness for life, may very
well be the sign that an abortion-minded
mother needs to see. Your small sacrifice
of time on a Saturday morning could save
a child’s life and a mother’s soul.
For more information on the RespectLife Committee or to subscribe to our
newsletter, please visit our website at
www.sjrl.com or contact
Russ and Carron Tooke
by email at tookernc@
att.net or by phone at
268-3349.
Russ
Tooke
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
6
Why Is Forgiveness Essential?
PART 2
“Moving Toward Forgiveness”
November 4, 2012
As promised in the previous issue of Reflections, this article continues
to address the topic of forgiveness. In the previous article, I looked at
Henri Nouwen’s views about forgiveness, the fact that we are first loved
by God who is perfect, the imperfection of human love, and
the tragedy that human love will wound us. The knowledge of
that FIRST love from God can assist us in forgiving those who
can have only a “SECOND” type of love (human) to give us.
wound is ever completely forgotten, but that its power to hold us
trapped in continual replay of the event, with all the resentment each
remembrance makes fresh, is broken. . . . Forgiveness involves excusing
persons from the punitive consequences they deserve to suffer for
their behavior” (Thompson, p.19).
This article is based mostly on “Moving Toward
Forgiveness,” an article by Marjorie J. Thompson, a
Presbyterian clergywoman, retreat leader, and faculty
member at Vanderbilt Divinity School. I have quoted
liberally from her article.
WHAT FORGIVENESS IS NOT
Mrs. Thompson begins her article with a focus on what
forgiveness is not, as listed below:
Mary Morris
Williams
1. Forgiveness is not denying our hurt.
We need to acknowledge the negative
impact of a person’s actions or attitudes on
our lives whether or not harm was intended
by the person who offended us.
2. Forgiveness is not resigned martyrdom.
We should not take on the blame for the
actions of others. We should not take on the
role of victim as if we deserve to be blamed,
degraded, or abused by the offended. We
should not take inappropriate responsibility
for the offense of others.
3. Forgiveness is not putting the offender on probation.
We should not lie in wait for the offender to hurt us again and then
take back our forgiveness.
4. Forgiveness is not excusing unjust behavior because that would
tolerate and condone those behaviors.
Unjust or evil actions are not “all right” – they are sins.
5. Forgiveness is not necessarily forgetting.
For major hurts, it may be impossible or hard to forget – forgiveness
does not demand forgetting (Thompson, pp. 17-18).
This is a hefty definition, well-worth study. I would
emphasize the fact that forgiveness is a “conscious choice.” It
is a DECISION to release the person who hurt us from the
“sentence of our judgment.” This is a willful act. It is not a
FEELING. It would be nice if our feelings line up with this
decision, but it is not necessary for that to happen in order
to forgive the person who hurt us. Sometimes our feelings are
sluggish and slow to change. But we step out with the power
of the will to decide and hope our feelings will follow. This
definition also includes releasing the person from punishment.
We also let go of our “desire for retribution.” We put that in
the hands of God where it belongs.
Another author, Walter Wangerin, Jr., can help us as we struggle with
this definition and our attempt to forgive. In his book about married
life, As for Me and My House, he sees forgiveness
as a “sort of divine absurdity . . . irrational, as
the world reasons things, and unwise. . . . Forgive-ness is a holy, complete, unqualified giving”
(Wangerin, p. 79).
Mr. Wangerin mentions an additional step in
the process of forgiveness that is necessary in
on-going relationships. This step enters into the
process of reconciliation. This step comprises
“clear communication to the offender” that he
or she has hurt us. The person who has been hurt
must speak up, “not to accuse” the offender but “to impart information.”
And why is this necessary? This step is necessary because SOMETIMES
PEOPLE HURT US WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THEY HAVE
DONE. So, basically, we tell the person they have hurt us, so they can
know their offense and, hopefully, repent the offense and work not to
repeat it. In this way, we offer the offender a road to healing with the
hope of repairing the relationship.
Wangerin acknowledges that forgiveness is a “sacrifice. To react in a
manner opposite to vengeance (the natural desire of human nature), to
risk reopening wounds, and to seek to heal the one who sought to hurt –
these are sacrifices of one’s self ” (Wangerin, p. 80).
DEFINITION OF FORGIVENESS
RESISTANCE TO FORGIVING
Mrs. Thompson then proceeds to offer a definition of forgiveness: “To
forgive is to make a conscious choice to release the person who has
wounded us from the sentence of our judgment, however justified that
judgment may be. It represents a choice to leave behind our resentment
and desire for retribution, however fair such punishment might seem.
It is in this sense that one may speak of ‘forgetting’; not that the actual
Getting back to Ms. Thompson’s work, she looks at our resistance to
forgiveness. “How do we release a person who has deeply wounded us
from the sentence of our condemnation? What if the culprit refuses to
acknowledge that a problem exists? How can we forgive if there is no
contrition?” (Thompson, pp. 19-20).
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
The very hard answer to these questions is that “we are called to offer
unconditional forgiveness, as God in Christ offers it to us” (Thompson,
p. 20). Forgiveness of another does not need the offender to admit to the
offense or to be sorry for the offense. This is TOUGH. We want them to
admit to the wrong. We want them to be sorry they hurt us. That would
make us FEEL better. But, as much as we might want this, it does not always
happen. Our decision to forgive can still release US from the burden of the
hurt and free us to walk away and walk on. It can lighten our emotional,
spiritual, and psychological burden.
So, practically, how do we move to this forgiveness we are called to offer?
I see two answers to this. First, we need to acknowledge and develop our
understanding of God’s forgiveness of our own sins. God is merciful to us.
He puts our sins away when He forgives us – as far as the east is from the
west. Christ has taken on the punishment and pain for our wrongs. As God
has forgiven us, we are asked to forgive others.
Second, we pray for a forgiving heart. When we are unable to forgive, we
can pray to want to forgive. Keep praying to want, to want, to want, to
want to forgive. Acknowledge that we “need God’s presence and grace” to
forgive others and to “relate rightly to one another” (Thompson, p. 23).
Our other author, Wangerin, agrees with this view and expands. “But if
forgiveness is a tool, it is also a power tool whose power comes from a
source other than ourselves” (Wangerin, p. 82). Wangerin sees the source of
this power as Jesus Christ. In our Catholic thinking, I attribute the source
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of this power to the Holy Spirit, our counselor and our advocate, sent by
Christ on Pentecost to be with us always. I assume both Wangerin and I
would agree that the power comes from God whose love is infinite and
whose love empowers forgiveness.
“Our reluctance to offer forgiveness also ties us to the past, and impedes both
the present moment and the future potential of life. My lack of forgiveness
holds me captive as much as it keeps another person in subjugation to my
conscious and unconscious resentment. The Latin word for mercy is very
revealing in this regard. Eleison literally means to unbind, as our related
English work liaison means bond. When we refuse to forgive, we hold others
firmly enmeshed in the bondage of our judgment: when we forgive, we
loose others from the attachments of our anger and vengefulness, freeing
ourselves in the process” (Thompson, p. 22).
Thus, forgiving others is actually a gift to oneself. As I forgive the hurts of
another, I am released from the burden of vengefulness, anger, and ill-will.
I am freed by this process.
Thompson, Marjorie J. “Moving Toward Forgiveness,” Weavings, Volume
VII, Number 2, March/April 1992.
Wangerin, Walter. As for Me and My House, Thomas Nelson Publishers,
Tennessee, 1990.
What Happens When Seasons Change?
By Diana Moyet-Trerotola
As we approach the season of fall, it causes me to reflect on what the
changes of seasons mean to us as Christians; particularly with respect to
our faith during difficult circumstances.
Approximately one year ago, my husband and I relocated to
Florida from Virginia. Although I enjoy the wonderful
weather of the Sunshine State, I miss the changes of
season, which are not as pronounced in Florida.
How beautiful it was to experience the white flurry
of snow in the winter, to see the first flowers bloom
in the spring, to feel the crisp Virginia country
breezes in the summer, and to be mesmerized by
the beautiful warm colors of the leaves in autumn.
However, it is not just about visually seeing and
feeling the beauty in what nature has to offer but,
rather, understanding what the changes of season
really mean. I relay my thoughts by recalling a
tree that was given to my husband by his mother
as a gift several years ago. To our surprise, when we
opened up the box, we found what appeared to be
a bunch of long pathetic looking branches springing
out from roots in a pot. We looked at each other, and
surmised it must have been a tree! As gracious as we were
for the thoughtful and generous gift, we were disappointed
that perhaps the tree had died during its shipping. However,
upon reading the enclosed information, we learned that the tree may
appear wretched upon arrival, but would certainly resurface in the spring.
Still with little faith, we planted the tree, which as depicted in the picture
above, surprisingly showed great signs of life . . . and beauty.
What happens in the winter when the leaves fall? The tree appears
lifeless, but is it really? The answer is unquestionably no. The
tree sustains the necessary life inward to help it rejuvenate
its exterior beauty in the spring, which is why I relate this
naturalistic occurrence to our faith, particularly during
difficult times in our lives. In our lowest moments,
we too become like a tree in the winter. Our leaves
continue to fall to the ground until we look and feel
lifeless, rigid, and dull. And as the leaves drop one by
one, so does our faith begin slowly to diminish.
Matthew 17:20 tells us: “Because of your little faith,
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size as a
mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move
from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be
impossible for you.” Today, you may feel as though you
simply cannot move on because things are too difficult
to deal with. You may feel as if you have lost your faith
and hope in God, resenting Him for the suffering you have
had to endure. You breathe, you live, but you are lifeless.
But remember, like a tree, you will be renewed and your faith
will be restored. Your leaves will sprout, your flowers will bloom,
and your beauty will be exposed once again. All it takes is one little seed,
and no matter how you may feel right now, that seed is still in you.
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
8
A Humbling Experience
One day recently, I was cleaning off my desk and
came across a free $10.00 coupon for a local store. As
I was reading the coupon, I realized it was to expire
that very day. My husband calls me the “Queen of
Coupons.” I never buy anything unless it is on sale or
I have some sort of discount or coupon. My friends
even come to me for coupons.
I had such a jam-packed schedule on this particular
day but decided I could not miss my opportunity to
use this $10.00 coupon. I could just quickly run to
the store on my way to get the kids from school. Upon
arrival, I realized there was nothing I particularly
needed. I fleetingly decided on a pair of sweatpants
for my son, Mike. As I was standing at the register
ready to check out, I was delighted to discover my
amazing savings. Due to the combination of the store
sale and the coupon in hand, I was about to purchase
these very nice sweatpants for a mere 99 cents. I could
put them away for Christmas!
When I was next in line at the register, I noticed the
woman in front of me looked particularly distressed. I
overheard her tell the cashier of her need to provide a
few articles of warm clothing for her children because
they had nothing to wear for the coming winter. She
said the cold weather had caught her of guard and,
unfortunately, her paycheck was not due until next
week. She had gathered together what little money she
had in order to purchase some warm things since her
kids were complaining of being so cold, especially in
the mornings at school. The cashier totaled her items
and the woman was $14.60 short. She then proceeded
to determine which items to put back.
A little voice gently spoke to me and said, “Give her
your coupon; she needs it more than you.” I felt
so uncomfortable because I surely did not want to
embarrass the woman in front of everyone. I stood
frozen in the situation and pretended to glance at a
display in front of the counter. I tried to look away
and contemplate how to handle the situation, but the
voice in my head spoke again: “What are you waiting
for? Just give her the coupon.” Still, the coupon was
only $10.00 and not quite enough to cover what she
owed the cashier. As I looked down at my hand, low
and behold, I had a $5.00 bill I had intended to use
for payment of my 99-cent sweatpants.
That was when I knew God had a plan, and it involved
me. He made me find that coupon on my desk, rush to
the store to spend it only to find I was sent for another
reason. I turned to the woman and said, “Listen, I
have this free $10.00 off coupon and here is $5.00 to
cover the difference. You see, I really don’t need these
sweatpants, but my coupon was expiring today, so I
just came to spend it.” She looked at me and began
to cry. I, of course, was trying to be cool, telling her
not to worry, and this was really no big deal. She then
reached over and started hugging me so hard, saying,
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
At this point, the lady is crying, the cashier is crying,
the woman behind me is crying, and I start crying as
well. What mattered so little to me meant the world
to someone else.
As I left the store, I asked myself why it took me so
long to give her the coupon. I truly felt humbled in
this simple act of kindness. Most importantly, I was
given a grace I will never
forget. I cried the whole
way as I drove to school to
pick up my children.
“Where’s the Line to See Jesus?”
The retailers started setting out “Holiday items” before
Halloween. In the middle of November, the mall
suddenly seemed to be transformed into a magical
Christmas setting. The center of the mall became the
focal point of Santa. People waited hours in line with
their children to get that special Christmas photo and
the opportunity for their children to tell Santa what
they wanted for Christmas!
But . . . where is the line to see Jesus at the Mall?
There is a Christmas song that came out a few years
ago called “Where’s the Line to See Jesus?” performed
by Steve Haupt and his daughter, Becky Kelley. I urge
you, please, to take the time and Google this song. I
promise you will truly enjoy it!
This is the story behind the song, as told by
Steve Haupt:
Michelle
Horning
“While at the mall last year,
my four-year-old grandson
saw kids lined up excitedly
to see Santa Claus. Having
been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday
when Christians celebrate the birth of God’s son. With
the innocence of a child, he asked his mom, ‘Where’s
the line to see Jesus? If Christmas is Jesus’ birthday,
why don’t we see Him more?’ As his grandpa, I was
so happy that little Spencer understood the meaning
of Christmas at such a tender age, and then the words
for a song were jotted down in just a few minutes. The
song was inspired by my grandson, and the message
was inspired by my Savior. Out of the mouths of
babes come profound truths that many adults cannot
understand. Hopefully, Spencer’s observation and
our song will cause people to reflect on the love of
Jesus and the certainty that one day we will all stand
in line to see Jesus. Merry Christmas everyone.”
When I picked up my kids, they said, “Mom, why are
you crying?” I told them the story and my daughter
said, “The Knights of Columbus are doing a jacket
drive, and I know I have jackets to give.” My son piped
up and said he wanted to give some of his jackets as
well. I smiled and thought, not only was I given grace,
but my children were impacted as well.
Remember, scatter good seeds and they will grow!
“Where’s the Line to See Jesus?”
LY R I C S
Christmas time was approaching,
Snow is starting to fall,
Shoppers choosing their presents,
People filling the mall.
Children waiting for Santa,
With excitement and glee,
A little boy tugged my sweater,
Looked up and asked me.
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
It’s Christmas time, it’s His birthday.
Why don’t we see Him more?
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents.
But Christ gave His life for me.
As I stood in amazement,
At this message profound,
I looked down to thank him,
he was nowhere around.
Little boy at the mall,
Might as well have had wings,
As the tears filled my eyes,
but I heard him sing.
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
It’s Christmas time, it’s His birthday.
Why don’t we see Him more?
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents.
But Christ gave His life for me.
In the blink of an eye,
at the sound of His trump,
We’ll all stand in line at His throne.
Every knee shall bow down,
every tongue will confess,
that Jesus Christ is Lord
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
It’s Christmas time, it’s His birthday.
Why don’t we see Him more?
Where’s the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents.
But Christ gave His life for me.
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
9
Single Motherhood’s Twelve days of Christmas
When I daydream, it isn’t a handsome face, a day at the spa, or scenes
of a far-away vacation that float before my mind’s eye. No, what occupy
my thoughts most often are visions of a clean house, organization,
and actually being early wherever I go. I picture myself sitting down
to breakfast with my son and young sister before leaving for work and
school, everyone dressed, rested, and happily chatting away as we eat
without rush. Just when I am about to have a cup of coffee with my
bacon and eggs, my practical side interrupts, dispelling the
vision with uncontrollable rolling laughter; in fact, I think
there might even be a snort or two in there.
As the pretty clouds around my head disperse into the
atmosphere, reality comes back into focus with the sight of clean
laundry waiting to be folded and the trail of socks and shoes
leading from the front door to my 6-year-old son’s room. A
glance at the clock tells me, for sanity’s sake, I should have been
in bed three hours ago. A step in that direction invariably leads
to a sharp pain as some unseen toy makes its presence known;
which reminds me that I was supposed to email that list out.
Erin
Kelly
My second favorite daydream makes its appearance: a picture
of a big, comfortable, white bed piled high with soft fluffy
pillows and freshly washed sheets smelling of lavender. There is not a
sound but the cool breeze from the window to intrude on a great night’s
sleep, and I fall into the sweet bliss of . . . that darn toy on the floor
again. I stop, reminded again of that email, and I shuffle off to send it,
completely forgetting about that tiny little toy. Tomorrow morning, I’ll
find it again, which will remind me that I need to. . . .
As Advent approaches and there is even more to do, it is easy to get
caught up in the rush of the holidays, always moving in headlong flight
from task to task, the meaning of the season and the importance of those
we are called to serve obscured by the ever-present “to-do lists” and tight
schedules. The desire to get the perfect present for a significant person
in your life can keep you from the true gift of being perfectly present
during these special days. For a single mother, the stress of the season has
its own brand of trials and, as tiny thing stacks up on tiny thing, it can
become overwhelming to say the least. In a rush to get out the door as I
pull a half-eaten piece of Halloween candy out of my sons’ sock drawer, I
laugh to myself and, shaking my head, take a deep breath and a step back
to reevaluate my priorities. Of course, it helps that this is the exact advice
Father gave me in Confession.
As a mother, it would seem a clear-cut decision; after all, motherhood is
my vocation. But again and again, I find myself trying to do it all and not
doing any of it very well. I like to serve; in fact, I love to serve, whether it
is friends, the parish, our Pastor, or people in general. Yet it seems I often
look out into the world around me to find people to help rather than to
the world within my own home. Yes, I wake them and feed them and
clothe them. I make sure they get an education, and I work to earn the
money to make it all possible. I tell them I love them and talk about God,
bring them to Mass, and pray together. But any parent knows raising kids
is more than this, so much more. I ask myself when the last time was that
we had a night just for the family to talk, to laugh, and be silly with no
phone, TV, “to-do-list,” or computer to get in the way. As my little family
is growing up, I wonder, do I still know who they are; what’s more, do I
know who they are becoming?
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That special toy my son wants for Christmas won’t have any impact on
his growth as a person, and he likely won’t even remember it as an adult.
What he will remember is a mother who was, or was not present; who
did or did not take time for him, just for him. In a romantic relationship,
we long for the feeling that other person gives us of being the only soul
in the room, but how often are we stopping to make our children feel
how important they are to us? When is the last time any one of us put
everything else down to pause and listen to what our children
had to say; to make them feel like they are the only ones in the
room? These are the questions I ask myself as I stand in my
son’s room with a sticky piece of candy in one hand and his last
pair of clean socks in the other. Well, they were clean. My son
walks in the room, peanut butter from breakfast spattered here
and there on his outfit and all over his smiling face. For just one
moment, in my sleep-deprived exhaustion, I feel ready to cry,
but I smile instead and with a little laugh, tell him what a mess
he has made of his shirt. Then I go to clean him off.
No, that moment doesn’t really resolve anything, but it didn’t
create anything new to resolve either, and sometimes that’s
all the victory I need. A few days later, I clear everything off
my schedule to do some serious housecleaning and priority
changing. Yes, Father is right, there is really very little that I absolutely
must do, and my vocation as a mother always takes first place. After all,
God gave me a son to help get to heaven. I can’t imagine a greater gift,
nor a heavier responsibility. I also have a young sister to watch over and
guide, to help grow into the beautiful loving woman she will one day
be. So, while I may want to do something for everyone, and sometimes
I may, it is caring for the family God has given me that I want and need
most to do well.
It is with a new perspective that I look with expectation alongside our
Blessed Mother to that night before Christmas and all the joy it holds.
There is an excitement in the air and merriment in our hearts as we
collectively hold our breath in anticipation. “On this day is born a savior,
who is Christ the Lord.”
This is my first Advent season as a Catholic and I treasure every moment,
feeling a closeness with our Mother and with Jesus as we naturally
give a little more of ourselves in these days. So, while my twelve days
of Christmas include 12 missing candy canes from the tree, 11 burnt
cookies, 10 letters to Santa, 9 paper cuts, 8 Christmas wishes, 7 hours of
shopping, 6 minutes in time out, 5 bedtime stories, 4 hours of wrapping,
3 different outfits in the morning (not mine), 2 peeked-at presents, and
1 set of instructions in Chinese, I wouldn’t give a moment of it away.
Maybe I will work off a little purgatory time. . . . Or maybe I will get that
much closer to being who God has called me to be.
For now, I turn to those in my own home to learn to love like Jesus
commanded. Though there may someday be a handsome face to occupy
my mind, my daydreams these days are spiced with cinnamon and ginger
and filled with the shared laughter of my loved ones. And if I am given
the choice of wrapping the gifts or being there for my sister or my son
when they need me, well, they just might wake up to clean laundry under
the tree with a tag poking out here and there. And, hey, maybe they will
find that tiny toy this time. As for me, I choose to make thankfulness for
my vocation my priority.
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Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
10
CONVERSION
What is the meaning and significance of conversion? A common understanding
is that conversion happens when God saturates the soul with his irresistible
presence. Something from beyond the realm of time reaches across the
universe and breaks into our soul and transforms us. This force compels the
potential convert to reconsider the total purpose and meaning of life. What
emerges from the conversion process is a totally new way of regarding life
much in the same way that young lovers come to regard the world around
them. A radical and profound change of mind and heart takes place as the
convert places his trust in God’s mercy and grace. Consider the example of
the Good Thief on the Cross, who having arrived at the final frontier between
life and death, repented of his past life and asked our Lord to “Remember me
when you come into Your Kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Today, you will be with
me in paradise” (Luke 23:42 - 43). This was truly a deathbed conversion, a
momentous change of mind and heart in which God flooded the thief ’s soul
with his presence. A fundamental shift in being and a restructuring of one’s
entire existence takes place in response to God’s call.
Augustine’s conversion was the culmination of a long journey. He
heard a child’s voice say, “Tolle; Tolle Lege.” This, he took to be a divine
command to open the Bible and read. He felt the darkness of doubt
clearing, and he gave himself entirely to Christ. It was not a conversion
of the moment, but was rather the culmination of a process that had
begun some thirty-three years before. Augustine’s conversion was not
sudden or fully accomplished at the beginning, but which can be viewed
rather as a true journey that remains a model for each of us. God is with
us throughout our journey and waits for us to welcome Him. God sees
into our heart and runs to embrace us.
The appeal of conversion to persons such as John Henry Newman, G.K.
Chesterton, Christopher Dawson, Thomas Merton, Graham Greene,
Oscar Wilde, Sir Alec Guiness, Israel Zolli, Malcolm Muggeridge, Ronald
Knox, and Ernest Hemingway is well explained by Chesterton in Why I
Am A Catholic: “The Catholic Church carries a sort of map of the mind
which looks like the map of a maze, but which is in fact a guide to the
maze. It has been compiled from knowledge which, even considered as
human knowledge, is quite without any human parallel.” Indeed, there
is no other case of a human institution that has been thinking about
thinking for two thousand years. Conversion is
the beginning of an active, fruitful, progressive,
and even adventurous life of the intellect and
heart. Far from being a clone submitting to
every jot and tittle of the pope’s utterances, the
convert enjoys an intoxicating exhilaration of
discovering a new life. One’s life is enhanced
rather than hampered by the teaching authority
of the Magisterium and the Roman faith.
God has many ways of drawing people to Him, employing emotions and
intellect, imminence and majesty, and the attractions of faith and reason. God
is never far from us. “I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you”
(John 14:20). St. Augustine quoted Psalm 139:7-10
to express his reliance on God: “Where can I flee?
Up to the heavens you are there. If I sink to the
nether world, you are present there. If I take the
wings of the dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits
of the sea, even there your hand shall guide me.”
God is ever present; He is not remote. He does not
appear intermittently and randomly in our lives.
It is man who turns away from God, and it is not
God who marginalizes man. Conversion comes
Evelyn Waugh, the great English writer,
to the person who recognizes the eternal presence
described his conversion in Converted to Rome:
of God. Metanoia in Greek means a radical change
Why It Happened to Me. He considered that,
of mind and heart. Through metanoia, man turns
“Conversion is like stepping across the chimney
to embrace the Father who has never forgotten him
piece out of a Looking-Glass world, where
and is always eager to welcome him. St. Ambrose
everything is an absurd caricature, into the real
says, “He runs out to meet you, for he hears you
world God made; and then begins the delicious
as you reflect within the secrecy of your heart. . .
process of exploring it limitlessly.” Prophetically,
. He sees into your heart, He runs out so that no
Scorel, Jan van. The Life of St. Augustine: The Baptism of St. Augustine
Waugh concluded, in 1930, that the modern
one will detain you, and furthermore He embraces
(St. Ambrosius baptises St. Augustine, Milan in 387).
On wood. 1520. Altar of St. Augustine, Church of St. Stephen, Jerusalem.
world was facing a choice between “Christianity
you. . . . Christ throws his arms around your neck
Accessed 4 Nov. 2012.
and Chaos.” “It is no longer possible,” he
because He wants to remove the yoke of slavery and
<http://www.lessing-photo.com/dispimg.asp?i=400405+3+&cr=5&cl=1>
declared, “to accept the benefits of civilization
put a gentle yoke upon it” (In Lucam VII, 229-230).
and at the same time deny the supernatural basis upon which it rests.”
The flash of conversion is not God appearing suddenly to us. He has been
The immediate circumstances of conversion are diverse, resulting
present all the time! Man waits so long. . . . St. Augustine found God after
perhaps from a personal crisis, an incurable illness, a praying mother, a
a long delay during which he expressed the wish, “Make me pure . . . but not
catastrophic experience, or a loving friend. Some
yet” (Confessions, Chapter XIII).
converts come to the Catholic faith because of a
hunger for the authentic Eucharist, because they
Late have I loved you,
want to be part of a faith community and seek a
O Beauty ever ancient and ever new,
sense of belonging, because of a devoted spouse,
late I have loved you!
because they have deep spiritual wounds that
You were within me, but I was outside,
need healing, because they need to forgive or be
And it was there that I searched for you. . . .
forgiven, or because they seek a meaning to their
You were with me, but I was not with you. . . .
life. Conversion is like a courtship leading to
You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.
marriage. When souls discover the truth about
You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.
the Catholic Church, they fall in love with her
You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath. . . .
as they become enchanted by the majestic and
I hunger and thirst for more.
beautiful vision of the Church and appreciate her
You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
glory, ever ancient, and ever new.
(Confessions, Chapter I)
Alan M.
Rees
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
11
Ebenezer Tooke
Carron and I were out dining
with some friends when I
used the word “hate.” The
couple’s daughter snickered
and whispered out loud that
Mr. Tooke said a bad word.
The girl’s mother smiled at
me and said we don’t use
words like hate or stupid.
Well, by golly, I do! They
are good words; words that
accurately describe certain
situations or conditions.
First of all, since when did
“hate” and “stupid” become
four-letter words? Okay, okay so technically “hate”
is a four-letter word, but you know what I mean, not
like such words as #$%^ or @&*> or even *&^%
which I use only when locked up in my office
arguing with my computer. And certainly not as
bad as *<&^%$@!#^ which is not a four-letter
word but can still get you arrested in some
small South Georgia towns if uttered within
five hundred yards of a school, church, or a
Piggly Wiggly.
Russ
Tooke
observe the season by participating in a wild-eyed
feeding frenzy of consumerism that mandates buying
every relative, neighbor, friend, associate, and casual
acquaintance a thoughtful gift; everybody else listed
in the phonebook gets a card.
Fine! Label me a curmudgeon; my family certainly
does. But, frankly, I resent that for two solid months,
I cannot venture out to any public place or turn
on a radio or TV without being assaulted by a
constant barrage of icky sweet, insipid, nonreligious,
“Christmas music.” Frosty the Snowman and
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer are bad enough,
but I absolutely hate, (HA HA HA - there, I said it,
and I’m not at all sorry) I HATE the song “Grandma
Got Run Over By a Reindeer.” Not only do I hate that
Well, I ain’t gonna do it. I will not do any lastminute shopping to buy somebody a gift just
because I recognized their face; I will not try to
pull the U.S. Postal Service back from the brink of
insolvency by sending out truck loads of Christmas
cards; and I will not dress up for Halloween - Sorry,
wrong holiday.
What really gets my goat are the people who tie up our
judicial system and tax dollars suing municipalities
over even the slightest suggestion of Jesus or any
religious theme in a holiday display. I have a
sneaky suspicion these are really the same people
who claim Christians stole Christmas from
pagan religions, and who want to revert back
to the “ancient” traditions like dancing around
a bonfire at full moon wearing loin cloths and
beating drums. Frankly, if you have an insane
urge to practice some hideous seasonal tradition,
just stay home and subject yourself to TV
Christmas specials.
So what were we discussing to arouse me to
use such caustic language? The imminent
onslaught of the holiday season, that’s what. I
detest (are you happy now) the holiday season.
I love Advent, but does anybody even know
what that is anymore? Here’s a hint: it is not
when you expand your air conditioning system.
Advent is a time of penance and preparation
in anticipation of Christmas. But instead we
Two Ways
song, but I have even grown to harbor deep feelings of
animosity towards the song writer, at least until I take
the little white pills my doctor prescribed for me. I’m
convinced this relentless attack on our psyche has one
purpose, and that is to turn us all into debt-incurring
zombies who will rush out and send all our money to
China for a handful of shoddily-made trinkets. They
must think we’re stupid! (Oops).
Seeing how we celebrate Christmas with all the
glitz and hype, I don’t think Our Lord has been
removed from the season after all; I think He
had the good sense to leave it.
“Two ways there are, one of Life and one of Death . . .” – The Didache: first century A.D.
By Russ Tooke
When the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, called upon
us to oppose the culture of death, he was not describing
some new phenomenon faced by this current
generation. From its very inception, the Church has had
to contend with abortion, contraception, infanticide,
infant sacrifice to demon gods, and the exposing of
unwanted children to the elements or to wild beasts.
Repeatedly, early church writers from the first century
onward, such as St. Clement, Tertullian, Hippolytus,
Lactantius, and the writer of the Didache, have warned
against these practices. Then, as now, the innocent
and defenseless have always been and continue to be
favorite targets of Satan.
It is staggering to consider the millions of lives that
are brutally destroyed yearly by the abortion industry
of which Planned Parenthood is the foremost culprit.
One out of every four pregnancies in the U.S. ends
in abortion. It was reported that abortion is the
number one killer of black Americans with over
sixteen million killed since the 1973 Roe v Wade
Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The
sheer number of those being killed just here in the
U.S. is incomprehensible, and without precedence
throughout history. Consider what the numbers
must be like worldwide.
The culture of death continues to stalk
children after birth. How often do we read
in the newspaper of children being abducted,
abused, and murdered? How many times
has it been reported that some stepfather or
boyfriend has beaten or shaken a baby to
death? Gunmen shooting children? Children
shooting children? Is this any surprise from a
society that glorifies violence in its entertainment and
devalues life in its laws?
The attack on the innocent is worldwide. China,
encouraged by the U.N., practices forced abortions
and forced sterilizations upon its citizens. African
children’s arms and legs have been hacked off by rebels
seeking to terrorize villagers in order to gain control of
diamond fields. Throughout much of Southeast Asia,
children are being enslaved in sweatshops and
labor camps, or being forced into prostitution.
Many never reach adulthood.
There is an evil out there that wants the
innocent dead and the living steeped
in guilt. As Catholics, how can we not
actively oppose the culture of death? Spend
some time on your knees in the presence
of our Lord in the Eucharist at Adoration.
Pray the Rosary. Support candidates who
have the courage to stand for pro-life issues. In
some societies people have been imprisoned and
killed for defending life. Thank God we still have
the freedom to speak out against evil. Don’t let that
freedom go to waste.
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
12
Ask Father Dan
At every weekend Mass, a
bell signals the beginning of
the solemn procession to the
sanctuary. The cross bearer,
acolytes,
extraordinary
ministers of the Eucharist, and deacon
process up the main aisle followed by
the priest celebrant. Simultaneously, the
lights in the Blessed Sacrament chapel
are turned off. The wrought iron gates,
up to now open, are closed. Is the Real
Presence in the tabernacle relegated in
importance at this time?
The short answer is “no.”
There is only one God who
transcends all things human
and material. In our human
terminology, totally inadequate in matters
of God, the Real Presence in the tabernacle
is one reality of this God. The Mass about
to begin is another. Again, mindful of the
inadequacy of our human terminology, we
just know any one reality of God could not be
in competition with any other so called reality
of God. Likewise, God is not diminishable by
anyone or anything of his creation, and least
of all by turning off a few electric lights.
The whole point is to focus our
attention on the Liturgy of the Word
and the Liturgy of the Eucharist
about to begin. The book of the
Word is carried aloft in precession
and placed on the altar. After the
introductory prayers, it will be
again raised aloft and carried to
the ambo, proclaimed in reading
and homily. We will respond in
reverential attention.
and then moved to their assigned location.
The priest and deacon, in a special act of
reverence, kissed the altar before proceeding
to their chairs. The altar is a very special and
sacred object, because on it, the bread and
wine will become the Body and Blood of
Christ. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist,
all activity will be at this sacred
altar. Hopefully, with minimum
distraction, we will focus on every
word and action of this Eucharistic
Liturgy and be drawn deep into
its meaning.
As humans, we are especially
subject to external stimulation.
Specially directed lighting at
an after-dark stadium special
event would be a good example.
Attention is enhanced. That’s the
whole idea here. The occasion of
the Mass is, of course, infinitely
more important and consequential.
Notice how, on reaching the
sanctuary, all who processed
bowed in reverence to the altar
Our Father’s Love
Slumber my little one, Slumber my pretty one,
Float on the starry stream;
Worlds of all loveliness, wonderful world,
Filling your magical dreams.
I often relish how blessed are Allison Mall’s children
to have such a wonderful mother, not just her warm,
inviting persona, but her lovely, melodic voice, singing
them to sleep at night. Oh, how they look forward to
each new day to spend with her. This reminds me of the
young Mary and how she must have sung comforting
melodies to the newborn Jesus. He knew His mother’s
voice. Inside the humble surroundings of a barn, a
strong spirit of enlightenment pierced this holiest of
nights. Even the donkey, cows, dogs, and sheep must
have been soothed listening to this special family with
whom they shared their living quarters.
As we celebrate His birth once again, let us reflect on
sharing the same Father, a father who made us and
loves us completely. We are his children. Because we’re
made in his image, He holds us dearly. He gave us a
spirit of confidence, not a spirit of fear. He gave
us gifts and talents and a big beautiful world in
which to enjoy them. We can always talk to Him
openly, about anything. He gave us
Abraham to inspire steadfast faith. He
gave us King David to inspire courage.
He gave us Jesus, the greatest teacher of
all time. He gave us nurturing mothers
who taught us to acknowledge Him for
His goodness.
The classic slumber song above
exemplifies how dear our well being is
to our mothers.
at school, the hustle and bustle, and orchestra
music. Taste the hard candy, fruitcake, turkey
and dressing, and pies. Smell the fresh pine trees,
wreaths, and garland. Kiss a new baby,
touch a puppy’s fur, and appreciate the
chilly days. Look up to heaven and
say, “Thank you, Father!”
Gwendolyn
Butler
As a child, my mother gave me good
smelling dolls; my father, a wagon, a
bicycle, and lots of sweets. Though my
mother would always surprise me with such lovely
gifts, one Christmas, an endearing friend gave me
a charming long, blue coat blanket. I still relish
that toasty feeling, the kindness, the heartfelt
thoughtfulness.
This Yuletide season, taste and see the goodness
of the Lord! Enjoy the decorations, Santa, food,
and plays. Listen to the bells, carols, merry singing
As a child, I relished the warmth of
the nightly covers pulled over me in
pure love. I’d secretly smile and drift
off to slumber-land. The anticipation
of Christmas joy heightens this glow
of happiness. A comforting feeling
does not have to be confined to the
parameters of bed coverings.
In His eyes, we’re still babies with a
lot to learn. Snuggle up in His arms and know the
safety in this trust.
Like Allison’s compassion for her children, God
cares for us individually, unconditionally.
Merry Christmas, every day.
Happy 2013, every day!
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
Scent from Heaven
Every Christmas, for as long as I remember, Daddy gave my
Mum the same gift. It was especially meaningful because of its
French origin.
As the years progressed, it became harder and harder for my father to
find Arpège. While I was away at college, my younger sisters helped
him search Pensacola to find the gift, until one year, the package
on Christmas morning was no longer cylindrical in shape. It was
rectangular. It was a book – a spiritual book. And while my sisters
and I were disappointed, Mum
was happy to receive a gift that
would strengthen her faith and
bring it to new heights.
In the mid-1950s, my parents were stationed in a picturesque
community, adjoining the
city of Nice, known as
Villefranche-sur-Mer, one of
the deepest natural harbors in
the Mediterranean Sea. The
6th Fleet flagship, USS Salem,
We grew used to Christmas
called Villefranche its home
mornings without the French
port, and while Daddy was out
perfume.
Instead,
Mum
at sea serving under Admiral
breathed in the scent of
Charles “Cat” Brown, my
heaven from each new book.
Mum made a quaint home for
This ritual went on for many
my sister and I in this French
years, and the already teeming
Riviera village.
Although
library kept growing, until
I was only three years old, I
one September (my parents’
remember the endless stone
anniversary month), Mum
Aboard the USS Salem
steps throughout the town,
announced she would like
bordered by shops, small hotels, and apartments. I vaguely
something a little more feminine at Christmas – a result of receiving
remember the nuns who taught my sister and me at the nursery
spiritual books on EVERY gift-giving occasion.
school – evidence to me today of how my parents always valued
their Catholic faith and made sure they passed it on to their
Before my father passed away, all of our families happened to be with
daughters through Catholic education and their own teaching
my parents one Christmas, and as Mum opened the rectangular
and examples.
package, she burst out in laughter and admonished Daddy as
she held up two more
Subsequent to those days in Villefranche, my parents returned
spiritual books, “Are we
to England and eventually made it to the United States with two
planning on opening
additional daughters. My sisters and I would watch expectantly on
up a religious book
Christmas morning as Mum unwrapped the small package from
store?” The truth is,
Daddy. It was always the same beautiful, slender, black cylindrical
both of my parents set a
container with a gold band around the center where the cap met
wonderful standard for
the base; a creation of world-renowned designer Armand-Albert
us as they passed on a
Rateau. In the early years, Mum would always act surprised and
living example of their
then spray the fragrance, breathing in its heavenly scent.
value for the gifts that
truly count: deepening
Our whole family loved the smell of Arpège by Lanvin. The
faith, love for Jesus in
Fortunato and Violet Veloso
perfume was introduced in 1927 and is a
the Eucharist, love of
compilation of luxurious, gentle, floral
scriptures, devotion to daily recitation of the rosary, devotion to
fragrances leaving a sweet, lingering essence.
the Sacred Heart, daily Mass, placing Christ at the center of life,
In my mind, it represented the beautiful
and passing on the faith.
bouquet of my parents’ love and devotion to
each other, bound by the crystal-clear vase of
My sisters and I may not have always appreciated the scent of
their precious Catholic faith. The perfume
heaven permeating my parents’ lives when we were young. We
was housed in a beautiful container which,
were more interested in the tangible gifts. But, certainly now, as
like their faith, when the contents were
my sisters and I spend Christmas mornings with our own families,
released, spread a permeating true heavenly
because of the faith of our mother and father, we can still breathe
Paula
fragrance through the surrounding air. But,
in the lingering perfume of their lives, lived with and for Jesus. He
unlike faith and truth, manmade perfume
is our genuine gift from God – infant, savior, friend, companion,
Babadi
does not endure.
brother – our true scent from heaven.
13
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
14
“The Mass . . .”
“Go, you are sent forth!” There is so much more to the Mass. Before we are
“sent,” we engage in “Eucharist.” Yes, Eucharist, the great big, heartfelt “thanks
be to You, O God, for Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, and ascension.”
In this fall season, when we so enjoy a good football game, we probably fail to
realize – or we refuse to admit – football is no more than a spectator
sport (unless you are down on the field making the plays). Yes,
there are levels of involvement. I can be watching on TV at home
alone. I can make it an event and watch it with friends. I can be
in the stands at the stadium. It remains a spectator sport. In the
Mass, on the other hand, we are invited to be “players,” to be fully
engaged. We will truly get out of the Mass whatever we make the
effort to put into it.
Kyrie eleison: “Lord, have mercy.” Even before the first prayer, the
priest/celebrant invites us into conversation with the Lord. He
invites us into the acknowledgment and then lays our sins aside so
we can be spiritually “cleaned up” for our meeting with the Lord.
Only after this Kyrie eleison do we pray a special prayer for the feast
of the day. Although we will never quite meet our own “I-deal,” we
come to be nourished in faith by hearing and applying the Word, by
partaking in Communion. Wow! Communion with the saints and
angels of heaven, and also with one another!
When the bread is carried up, can we mentally name three tangibles we bring
to the Lord from the fruits of our labors?
As the wine is poured, what heartaches or delights will we pour out in
offering to God?
In our hearts we can pray: Gracious God, here are some of the fruits
of my labors of this past week; some of my accomplishments in
bringing to fruition the seed of potential You have planted in me.
We may think that our gifts are meager, but God receives them in
total delight! Becoming those gifts, the Lord returns them to us,
revitalizing our drooping spirits, so we can continue in this life, to
prepare for the life eternal . . . for our own everlasting Life.
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even
if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will
never die” (John 11:25-26). Those are words Jesus spoke to Martha
when she felt hopeless in the death of her dear brother, Lazarus. Two
thousand years later, Jesus speaks those words to you, to me. Are
SFCC/D.Min
we ever ready for this? Awesome isn’t it? So we journey forward to
receive; Jesus, who willingly accepted the most excruciating passion
and death so, in victory over death, he could overcome death for
resurrection and new LIFE. Thank You, Jesus!
Sr. Andrea
Zbiegien
We follow that prayerful beginning by settling back in our seats to take in
the Word of God as proclaimed in scripture. The Scripture passages have
the ability to nourish our drooping spirits IF we focus our attention. We can
sit there likes bumps, or we can hear and apply the readings to our everyday
lives. In the priest’s homily, we are called to be nourished by the Word, to
focus on some phrases and apply them to our lives. He picks out some points,
challenging us to ponder them.
In this 50th jubilee year of Vatican II, we recognize why the council fathers
insisted on “Eucharist/thanks-giving” to be better understood in reference to
the colloquial, “Mass.” We gather on a regular basis to offer thankfulness and
praise to God.
From the midst of the assembly, someone (who represents us) carries
forth bread and wine. But what is it that we will bring to the altar? Yes,
what indeed?
Closer than the breath we breathe, we welcome the Lord Himself who is
willing to walk with us through thick and thin. He who walked this earth is
here to walk with us, helping to meet every challenge of this human existence.
“Humbly we adore, Thee, Christ Redeemer King. . . .”
We are encouraged to join in the singing, lifting our voices, minds and hearts
to the Lord of our lives. Are we better able to address life’s challenges bolstered
up by our family in faith?
If we would attend to our faith and concern for our eternal lives with all the
fervent enthusiasm that we bring to the stadium, we would truly be “Alive in
Christ!”
Not only that, but with The Lord Jesus Christ as our quarterback, we are
always winners! Hoorah! What more can be the meaning of the great “Amen!”?
“Ite, missa est!” “Go, you are sent forth!”
Barb’s Corner – Grandma’s Ageless Wisdom
By Barbara Crawford
• SEEK: Unity
Compassion (leads to fairness / understanding)
Honesty
• Realize CHANGE is inevitable and will come from
unexpected sources (God hears the cry of the oppressed).
• CHOOSE your battles carefully.
• VOICE your opinion without anger and truly LISTEN
to the response you receive (avoid misunderstandings).
• And lastly, TRULY LOVE without placing limits.
I too find the above difficult to do, but well worth the effort. I hope you will agree!
Focus on Faith
CHRISTMAS 2012
The Second Vatican Council
Tom
Kelly
Last October marks the
50th Anniversary of the
opening of the Second
Vatican Council. This
was the twenty-first
general or ecumenical
council in the history
of the Catholic Church.
Nicaea,
located
in
modern-day
Turkey,
was the site of the first
ecumenical council in
325 A.D. Councils are
named after the city in
which they were held.
Traditionally, councils were called in session
to address a problem of heresy, to respond to a
threat of schism, or to declare or clarify a core
teaching of the faith. In
this regard, Vatican II
was a notable exception.
Heresy or schism was
not on the agenda.
Instead, the objective
of this Council was to
respond positively to the
challenges of the modern
world, to introduce
updates in the Church
where
possible
and
necessary, and to reach
out to other Christians in
a spirit of reconciliation.
Just three months after
his election to the Papacy,
Blessed Pope John XXIII
announced his plans for
an ecumenical council.
This jovial persona was
unafraid, perceptive, and
dismissive of the numerous prophets of gloom
and doom, and truly inspired by the Spirit. He
was thinking in terms of a “New Pentecost” that
would reinvigorate the Church. The Church,
he said, needed “aggiornamento.” This Italian
word means “updating.” He wanted to open the
windows and let in fresh air. His mindset was one
of vision and hope: “The Council now beginning
rises in the Church like daybreak, a forerunner of
most splendid light. It is now only dawn.”
The first session began on October 11, 1962,
now the feast day of Blessed John XXIII. About
2,500 bishops gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica,
Vatican City. They were assisted by about 400
priest-theologians. Religious women, lay people,
and observers from the Eastern Orthodox and
Protestant traditions were also invited. The final
session ended on the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, December 8, 1965. In the end,
sixteen documents were produced, reflecting a
new vision for the Church in the modern world,
all of which are available on the Internet.
The significance of Vatican II is immense. The
pastoral mood of the Council was loud and
clear as both clergy and laity were defined and
described as “The People of God.” Almost
every aspect of Catholic life and thought was in
review. Perhaps the most remembered outcome
immediately coming to mind is the simplified
liturgy in the language of the people. This timely
pastoral decision embraced us into a new depth of
participation and understanding. Deliberations in
matters such as missionary
activity, lay apostolate,
religious
liberty,
the
Church in the modern
world, ecumenism, mass
media, and the consequent
directives illustrate the
vast scope of this Council.
In a word, it outlined how
to be a catholic in our
contemporary world.
Historically, Vatican II
convened and ended in
the 1960s. However, it
would be a great mistake
to isolate it to this
timeframe. The message is
timeless. Surely there will
be Ecumenical Councils
in the future. They will
be timely and for the ages
to come, but they will
also build on the divine inspiration and wisdom
of this Council. Like all things in the past,
memories fade with time. Yet the documents of
Vatican II are a living testimony to what, in our
time, seems good and important to the Holy
Spirit. This is what Blessed John Paul II had in
mind when, in the Great Jubilee Year of 2000,
he called for a new engagement with Vatican
II documents in his address to the conference
studying the implementation of Vatican II: “A
new season is dawning before our eyes: it is time
for deep reflection on the Council’s teaching,
time to harvest all the Council Fathers sowed
and the generation of recent years has tended
and awaited.”
15
Pretty Balloons
By Rodrick T. Beaman
Pretty balloons rising through the air
take me where you’re going.
Lovely world below and fair
what is it you’re showing?
Beyond the clouds, beyond the moon
all dressed up for riding.
Earth below sing your tune
what is it you’re hiding?
Colors racing through my mind
with visions far and near.
Surprise yourself with what you find
when you put away your fear.
Touch the heavens, touch the ground,
touch the rainbows in the mist.
Tell us please what is found
when checking your life’s list.
World revolving far below
lovely fields still beckon.
Rivers, hills, forests, snow
I’m not leaving yet I reckon.
Soaring balloons, falling stars
returning to the earth.
Glittering water from afar
changing death to birth
Pretty balloons in the sky
kiss the shining sun.
Life and people mystify,
It’s morning everyone.
Happenings
CHRISTMAS 2012
New Parishioners
We are pleased to welcome the following new members of our parish
family who registered between July 25 and November 28, 2012.
George and Linda Ackley
Todd and Jill Arno
Jessica Beitz and Megan Scott
Ana Bellindo
Ann Marie Bhola
Gregory and Catherine Black
Thomas and Bobbi Blush
Kenton and Elizabeth Brown
Thomas and Ann Burke
Christopher and Nicole Cacho
Lisa Cardilli
Melania Centeno
Paul and Gina Cioffi
Kellie Coleman
Justin Collins
Brien and Kathleen Cook
John and Marilyn Curran
George and Deborah D’Ambrosio
Michael Davis
Luiz De Assis
Maria DeChellis
Mhaypard and Marjorie Dionodo
Jeffrey and Nicole Donnelly
Norman and Noreen Duby
Crystal Duckworth
Jeffrey and Jiyoon Dulik
Benjamin and Katherine Eary
Joan Eicher
LeRoy and Constance Ellingson
Gloria Esguerra
Vincent and Karen Farrar
Frank and Dina Favale
Raymond Ferngren
Robert Fox and Tanya Schappell
Garlene Frezin
Joe and Jeanine Frisco
David and Nurys Frumerie
William and Bernadette Fulton, Jr.
Jessica Galylon
Michael and Heather Galyon
Deborah Garcia
Gary Gordon
Jonas and Karla Guevara
Dean and Kathleen Haveisen
Amanda and Deborah Henry
David and Nelida Holland
Kara Hollins
R.A. and Louise Hughes
Joseph and Mary Humphrey
Crystal Hunton
Lucksley and Gabina Jean
Barry and Kathleen Kaufman
Charles Keller
Philip Litfin
Frank and Diane LoGalbo
James and Elizabeth Logan
Jinny Luga and Joseph Luczak
Catherine Macina
Jonathan and Sarah Makofske
Annette Martinez
Richard and Alison Mauro
Michael and Leticia Mazzeo
Donna McClendon
Shawn and heather McLaughlin
Erickson and Sheena Mejia
Ana Melendrez
Joseph and Jennifer Metzger
Joseph and Deborah Mikelonis
Michael Milligan and Luz Valentina
Christina Milton
Stephen Molitano
Nancy Nelson
Marvin and Particia Nevitt
David and Kristine Novelly
David and Ann O’Leary
Jack O’Lone
Roderick and Digna Olaes
Swarna Pachigalla
Jile and Valentina Palaj
Judith Pasarell
Tanya Paul
Diego and Tompsa Perez
Gail and Noah Peterson
Kevin and Erin Razban
Judith Redenius
Chris and Cristina Reintjes
Cecily Rodriguez
Wanda Rodriguez – Donham
Phil and Sheila Roop
David Rosenthal and Nicole Rhein
Adrian and Alexae Sable
Matthew Schrader and Amy Torchen
Joseph and Franziska Scone
Lisa Semak
Julian and Diem Shano
Cesk and Mimoza Shkurtaj
Preke and Liza Shllaku
Gilbert Siplon and Melanie Mendoza
Kenneth and Tammy Smakula
Thomas and Frances Smith
Daniel and Jessica Soto
Joseph and Leslie Stahlnecker, Sr.
Reneé Stialmant
Matt Symins
Paul and Beverly Terlaje
Thomas and Lincy Thomas
Robert Melanie Tumminello
Augusto Varas
Karen Velasco and Julius Roy
Mauricio and Monica Verduzco
Brian and Kelly Viola
Bernard and Marisa Volante
Angela Waters
Roy and Kellie Whann
Frank and Leann Wolfe
Matthew and Angela Yans
Mary Yanson
Maria Zamarron
16
CHRISTMAS SERVICES
& MASSES
RECONCILIATION
Parish Penance Service and Confessions
7:00 p.m.
WED., Dec. 19
Confessions
FRI., Dec. 21
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
SAT., Dec. 22
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
CHRISTMAS MASSES
Vigil of Christmas – Christmas Eve
3:00 p.m.
MON., Dec. 24
5:00 p.m. Children’s Mass
7:00 p.m.
Midnight Mass
Christmas Day
10:00 a.m.
TUE., Dec. 25
Noon
Spiritual Director
Father Dan Cody
Editorial Staff
Angela Allala
Roger Lestina
NEW YEAR’S MASSES
Solemnity of Mary Vigil - New Year’s Eve
MON., Dec. 31
5:30 p.m.
Solemnity of Mary - New Year’s Day
TUE., Jan. 1
10:00 a.m.
7:00 p.m.
PARISH CALENDAR
JANUARY
2 Duval Classes Resume
3 SJS Classes Resume
4 First-Friday Healing Mass
5 FFC Epiphany Party
7 St. Johns Classes Resume
9 PREP Resumes
13 MLK Ecumenical Service
17 SJS Home & School/
Academic Fair
20 Hondoras Packing Event
21 No School
(Martin Luther King Day)
22 Baptismal Seminar
26 Babysitters Class
27 Catholic Schools Week Begins
CCW/Men’s Club
Chili Cook-Off
30 SJS Open House
FEBRUARY
1 First-Friday Healing Mass
SJS Safety Patrol
Bingo Night
2 Confirmations
3 Boy Scout Sunday
6 Duval/SJS Early Release
9 Starry Nights Art Auction
11 Protecting God’s
Children Program
13 ASH WEDNESDAY
15 Men’s Club Lenten Fish Fry
18 No School
(Presidents’ Day)
20 Stations of the Cross
MARCH
1 BSA Mulch Madness
K of C Lenten Fish Fry
First-Friday Healing Mass
6 Duval/SJS Early Release
8 Eucharistic Congress
(Prime Osborne)
9 Eucharistic Congress
(Prime Osborne)
Daylight Savings Begins
11 No School
(Teacher Planning Day)
15 SJS Spring Play
16 SJS Spring Play
17 St. Patrick’s Day
24 PALM SUNDAY
25 Duval/St. Johns/Clay
Spring Break Begins
27 SJS Field Day
PREP Spring Break
28 HOLY THURSDAY
SJS Easter Break Begins
29 GOOD FRIDAY
30 HOLY SATURDAY
St. Anne’s Circle
Easter Egg Hunt
31 EASTER SUNDAY
Layout, Design and
Production
Angela Allala
St. Joseph’s Reflections
is the newspaper of
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,
Jacksonville, Florida.
It is published in
celebration of Easter,
Participation Sunday in
September, and Christmas.
The mission of
St. Joseph’s Reflections
is to build community
by informing and educating
parish members, strengthening
the bond between them,
inviting and inspiring their
participation in parish ministries
and activities, and encouraging
and supporting their outreach to
the Jacksonville community.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
11730 St. Augustine Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32258-2002
Phone: (904) 268-5422
Fax: (904) 292-0248
www.stjosephsjax.org
Pastor:
Rev. Dan Cody
Parochial Vicars:
Rev. Bernie Ahern
Rev. Bernardine Eikhuemelo