October 6,2013
Twenty SeventhSunday in Ordinary Time
Hb 1:2-3; 2:2-4 2Tm 1:6-8, 13-14 Lk 17:5-10 (141)
“Beloved, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give you a spirit of cowardice but rather power and love and self control…Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and the love that are in Christ Jesus.”… “ We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”
Our lives are full of reminders. Greeting cards tell us of special days, birthdays or anniversaries. Photos allow past moments to become present. Dents and scars recall one mishap or accidents. A ring speaks of a marriage or academic achievement.
St. Paul used a letter to remind his disciple Timothy of his calling to grace, love and self control. His encouragement as a reminder was to motivate him in his practice of the faith.
Paul’s words are directed to us, for when we were baptized and confirmed, there was then a laying on of hands. There was given power, grace and all the gifts of the Spirit. Today I am reminded of that moment when I was called, blessed and sent. Sometimes I easily, or conveniently, forget. The prophet today said ‘write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.’ Read these words a second time. God has given us what we so sorely need. May these sound words become the norm for our Christian living. We are called to stir into a flame, what might have become dying embers.
Disciples of Christ are not and cannot be cowards.
His Word Today by Rev. William J. Reilly
Control YourBody and Set Your Soul Free
Your soul needs to take control of your body, says St. Leo the Great. By
Please send your announcements and events to be included in the bulletin to:
Calm Your Mind----or at Least Your Tongue
We should try to keep from getting angry, says St. Ambrose. But if anger sneaks up on us, we should try to calm ourselves. And if we can’t do that, we should at least keep ourselves from saying something we’ll regret.
Guard against anger. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason.
The first thing, therefore, is to aim at, if possible, is to make tranquility of character our natural disposition by constant practice, by desire for better things, by fixed determination. But since passion is to a large extent implanted in our nature and character, so that it cannot be uprooted and avoided, it must be checked by reason---if, that is, it can be foreseen.
And if the mind has already been filled with indignation before it could be foreseen or provided against in any way, we must consider how to conquer the passion of the mind, how to restrain our anger, that it may no more be so filled.
If, then, anger has got the start, and has already taken possession of your mind, and risen into your heart, do not leave your ground. Your ground is patience, it is wisdom it is reason, it is the allaying of indignation.
And if the stubbornness of your opponent riles you up and his perverseness drives you to indignation, then if you cannot calm your mind at least hold your tongue. For so it is written” “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit…seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:13-14).
First, then, calm your mind. If you cannot do this, restrain your tongue. Finally, don’t forget to look for reconciliation.
~~St. Ambrose, On the Duties of the Clergy, 1.21
In God’s Presence, Consider…
How well am I able to restrain myself when anger creeps up on me?
Closing Prayer
Father, send me your Spirit of peace, so that I may live with a tranquil mind in temperance and obedience.
Haven’t we all felt like the author of today’s first reading? How long do we pray for God’s intervention in one cause of suffering or another? Will God ever answer and, if so, when?
God responds, “Yes, I will answer. Just wait. Have faith. The vision will come.”
But how hard it is for us to have faith! How many of us have a vision of a world free of war, of an end to poverty and sickness, of an environment protected from destruction? Yethow many of us believe any of those things will ever be? If we had faith the size of a mustard seed, would we be more willing to work to make them a reality? Could that be our duty, much like thatof the servant in today’s Gospel? Let’s give it a try! ~~Pax Christi Metro New York
SCHOOL NEWS
Please join the Academy of St. Joseph Open House on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. You will have an opportunity to tour our school, visit classrooms, ask questions of teachers and students as well as meet with Head of School.
If you are interested in visiting, please call the school office at 212-243-5420.
Letter from Archbishop Dolan
Dear friends in the Lord:
Our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, has shown himself to be a great teacher with the heart of a missionary. Like Jesus, he teaches by word and example, keeping the poor, the troubled, and the vulnerable in clear view at all times. In that spirit I write to you today. Our Catholic Church, at every level and by its very nature, is missionary. Its origin is in the very mission of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit. It is in Christ alone that “salvation is offered to all people, as a gift of God’s grace and mercy” (see Ephesians 2:8; Romans 1:6).
In every nation, World Mission Sunday will be observed on the weekend of October 19-20.This essential observance is an experience in learning for us all. It is a time for us to be inspired by the heroes of our Church who serve Go’s beloved children in places of poverty, injustice, and even outright persecution. The priest, religious, and ay missionary groups make it possible for the most needy to encounter Christ and His Sacraments, and thereby to lie in hope of heaven.
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is the Holy Father’s chief missionary arm, providing resources for more than 1,150 mission dioceses the world over. No work of the Church is more central to her reason for being. So, I am asking that every parish and all the faithful experience the fullness of World Mission Sunday. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith oversees the worldwide celebration of this most important day, representing and acting in the name of the Holy Father himself. In his address in advance of World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis summarizes well the direction on which we must stay! “The Church—I repeat again—is not a relief organization, an enterprise or an NGO, but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share this experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit that guides the Church in this path.”
The theme for the United States’ observance of this day is “Do good on earth”. This is taken from the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, the young Carmelite Sister who is the Patroness of the Missions. It is a call to put faith into action! The materials prepared by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith highlight the missionary efforts of the Salesian Sisters in Chennai, India, and their pastoral work among young women and girls who are victims of trafficking and slavery. The Sisters save the girls’ lives, and with love they teach and celebrate the faith. It is a most inspiring glimpse into missionary realities today.
At a time when the needs in the missions have grown substantially, and the urgency of the cry of the poor is all the more pronounced, I ask you for the gift of your generosity. With the mutual efforts of our clergy, religious, and faithful, every parish in this local Church should embrace a true concern to do the very best for those most in need. . Jesus commissioned His apostles and told them, “As the Father has sent me, so I have sent you” (John 20:21). That is the external challenge and privilege of all the Church’s servants and all the faithful. Let us pray that this year World Mission Sunday will touch each of us deeply, and that we will be united in providing true assistance where it is needed most, for the sake of Christ! I thank you in advance for your serious and generous response to the needs of others. In the end, the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church instruct us: “It is by what they have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones” (CCC,2443).
With prayerful best wishes, I am,
Faithfully in Christ,
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York
FEAST DAYS, SCRIPTURES, CITATIONS & SPECIAL INTENTIONS
Saturday, October 5
Bar 4:5-12, 27-29 Lk 10:17-24 (460)
12:10 PM Special Intentions
5:30 PM Special Intentions
Sunday, October 6
Hb 1:2-3; 2:2-4 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14 Lk 17:5-10 (141)
9:00 AM James W. Reynolds
11:30 AM Mary Johnson
. 6:00 PM Special Intention
Monday, October 7 Our Lady of the Rosary
Jon 1:1---2:2, 11 Lk 10:25-37 (461)
12:10 PM
Tuesday,October 8
Jon 3: 1-10 Lk10:38-42 (462)
12:10 PM Jeremiah W. O’Connor, Jr.
Wednesday, October 9 Saint Denis and Saint John Leonardi
Jon 4:1-11/Lk 11:1-4 (463)
12:10 PM Rose Arias
Thursday, October 10
Mal 3:13-20b Lk 11:5-13 (464)
12:10 PM Jose Arias--living
Friday, October 11 Bl. John XXIII, Pope
Jl 1:13-15, 2:1-2 Lk 11:15-26 (465)
12:10 PM Mary Jean Wood--living
Saturday,October 12
Jl 4:12-21 Lk 11:27-28 (466)
12:10 PM Dr. Joseph Imperato
5:30 PM Roy P. Daniels
MONTHLY PARISH ACTIVITIES
Sunday10:00 AM / Children’s Religious Studies / Casserly
10:00 AM / Scripture Discussion / Library
2:30 PM / Roman Forum Lectures / Casserly
7:00 PM / Grad Law / Casserly/Rectory
Monday
6:30 PM / Centering Prayer / Church
Tuesday
Wednesday
6:30 PM / Korean Catholic Students / Catholic Center at NYU
Thursday
6:30 PM 1st /mo / Pax Christi Bd Mt / PCMNY
6:50 PM / Bible Study / Library
7:00 PM
7:00 PM / Newman Club
YATCH Club for Young Adults / Catholic Center at NYU
Friday
6:00 PM 1st/mo / Novena/ SacredHeart / Church
Saturday
10:00-3:00 PM / Soup Kitchen / Casserly
12:30 PM 1st/mo / Blessing of theSick / Church
6:00 PM / AlcoholicsAnonymous / Casserly