MASS INTENTIONS
Monday, January 7, 2008
Communion Service
Tuesday, January
8, 2008 +Mel Halseth
(Cecelia Halseth)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
+Fran Scheiderich
(Rosemary Linhart)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Shirley Morigeau
(Cecelia Halseth)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Jean Schwab (A
Friend)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
5:00PM-Fr.
Chester Wrzaszczak (Frances Wenner)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
8:30 AM-People of
the Parish
10:30 AM-+Gressi
Udovini
(Bob & Ketty
Gattman)
³ ³ ³ ³
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THE WEEK Sunday, January 6, 2008 8:30 AM-Baptisms 9:00 AM– CCD 9:30 AM-KOC Pancake Breakfast 12:15 PM-Pray All Ways Committee mtg. in Church 1:00 PM-TOOLS mtg-S. R. Can/Bottle Recycling Monday, January 7, 2008 7:00 PM-Peace & Justice mtg-S.R. Tuesday, January 8, 2008 10:00 AM-Altar Guild mtg-S.R. 7:00 PM-Family Rosary Night 7:00 PM-KOC mtg-S.R. 7:30 PM-Choir Practice 7:30 PM-LOOP mtg-Rm. 6 Wednesday, January 9, 2007 6:00 PM-Pastoral Council meeting-Rm. 3 7:00 PM-RCIA-S.R. Thursday, January 10, 2008 7:00 PM-Prayer Group Soc. Rm 7:00 PM-Bible Study-Rm. 4 |
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EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
JANUARY 6, 2008 |
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From Fr. John: SHARED WEAKNESS How many times do we find
ourselves saying “I’m fine”, “I’m O.K.” or “Everything is fine” when someone
asks us how we are doing. If we find
ourselves too often responding that all is “fine” when, in fact, it isn’t, then
we very might well have a connection with the Pharisees that we read about in
the Bible. The Pharisees, or
“separated ones”, were the teachers of God’s laws. The Pharisees felt that as long as they
were scrupulously following the law and fulfilling it faithfully that they
would be in good standing with God. With this mind set, it seems that these
experts of religion and the things of God may have been carrying the attitude
that everything would be “fine” as long as they obeyed the numerous laws
prescribed in the Old Testament. What did
Jesus have to say to the experts of the law who were the religious leaders? Woe to you Pharisees, you frauds! You cleanse the
outside of the cup and dish, and leave
the inside filled with loot and lust! Blind Pharisees! First cleanse the
inside of the cup so that its outside may be clean. Mt. 23:25, 26 Jesus
knew that the emptiness in their hearts was not being touched by love. Following tons and tons of laws was not the
answer to their heart’s cry for love, healing and meaning. Jesus knew that everything wasn’t
“fine”. Our Lord knew that what they
wanted most was the Father’s love to help them with the loneliness and pain
of living. When
everything is always “fine” we are operating out of strength and we really
don’t need God. As Christians, we are
invited to celebrate the Father’s love in our weakness. How can we do this? We are challenged by the example of Christ
to operate out of weakness instead of strength. In operating out of weakness we are
challenged not to lie and say everything is “fine” when it isn’t. We are given the freedom to say we are
hurting, lonely or fearful if that is truly where we are at. Unfortunately, I think many of us can
deceive ourselves and others by lying about our true selves and saying things
are “fine” when the contrary is true.
There is no love in deception.
How many times do we say we are fine when we aren’t? The truth
is that God the Father’s power reached perfection in Christ’s
absolute weakness on the cross.
Likewise, we can be perfected in the power of the Father’s love in our
weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). The key to
experiencing the reality of God’s power and love is to become weak before God
and the key way to become weak before God is to be weak before each other.
Try it and watch God's power rush in. Let Jesus' power reach perfection in your weakness, Fr. John |