Dear Parish Family,
Today is the 4th Sunday of Easter and also the beginning of our Parish Mission. I welcome Fr. Michael Sullivan, O.S.A. to our parish this week. I have been anxiously awaiting this week and it’s finally here! Fr. Mike will preach at all the Masses this weekend and will offer the Parish Mission on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have known him for many years. Back in 1993 I was asked by my classmate to help with confessions during his parish mission. As you can guess the mission speaker was Fr. Mike. As soon as I heard him I asked if he would come to St. Philomena’s in Livingston where I was parochial vicar at the time. He came there the next year and offered the mission to a packed church on each of the 3 nights. I later had him come to both St. Mary’s in Rutherford and St. Helen’s in Westfield. He was very well received in both places.
Fr. Mike is a gifted speaker with a very good message that is interspersed with a great sense of humor. I invite you to make time to participate in this Parish Mission. The mission is for all members of the parish and is a chance for us to renew our spirit and deepen our faith.
I thank Deacon Joe and the members of the Spiritual Life committee for helping to organize this special day in the life of our parish family. After the Masses on Sunday you are invited to come to the auditorium and enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast. This is a great way to continue our celebration that began at Mass and an opportunity to meet up with old friends and to make new ones. All proceeds will go toward our Organ Fund.
I thank Rudy Schwarz and his team for their hard work and pancake-making skills! Next week we begin our novena of Masses for Mothers, both living and deceased. As I mentioned earlier this is the 4th Sunday of
Easter and is traditionally the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Each week during our intercessions we pray
for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate,
and consecrated life. I invite you to pray for vocations today and every day. As Jesus said, “the harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Lk 10:2).
Thank you for your Stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure and for all that you do for our parish.
Love,
Fr. Larry
THIS WEEK! MAY 2-6, 2009
The Spiritual Life Committee of OLQP invites you to attend our Parish Mission.
Fr. Michael P. Sullivan, O.S.A. will present a Series of Talks entitled “A TIME OF GRACE”
All evening talks begin at 7:30 pm.
Sunday A Call to be Born Again & Empowered by the Spirit
Monday A Call to Healing & Wholeness
Tuesday A Call to Fidelity & Commitment
Wednesday A Call to be One Bread, One Body
These are a remarkable series of presentations by a remarkable & engaging priest. Please make every effort to come out and treat yourself.
Sunday – Fourth Sunday of Easter,
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
May 3rd 8:00 am Patrick & Agnes Earley
10:00 am Dennis & Margaret Dunn
12:00 pm Kathleen Lyons
Monday
May 4th 7:00 am Florence Gratton
People of the Parish
Tuesday
May 5th 7:00 am Thomas McVeigh
People of the Parish
Wednesday
May 6th 7:00 am Bobette Travellin
People of the Parish
Thursday
May 7th 7:00 am Regina White
9:00 am Dec. Members of Desiere, Micco &
Musella Families
Friday
May 8th 7:00 am Elizabeth & Nicholas Loizzi
9:00 am Nanene Roselli
Saturday
May 9th 8:30 am Liv. & Dec. Members of Laszok,
Britzky & Dunleavy Families
5:00 pm Macchi & Salvo Families
Sunday – Fifth Sunday of Easter – Mother’s Day
May 10th 8:00 am All Mothers
10:00 am All Mothers
12:00 pm All Mothers
8th Confirmation class 7pm (in the Auditorium) Dare Presentation
22nd High School Youth Group (Rectory 7pm) Topic: Sacrifices we make in Life
8 Sunday CCD Class; Youth Group Meeting, all Confirmandi; Family Mass, 10:00 AM
10 Tuesday Confirmation Class
15 Sunday NO CCD (Winter Break)
17 Tuesday NO CONFIRMATION CLASS (Winter Break)
21 Saturday
22 Sunday CCD Class
24 Tuesday Confirmation Class
Dear Parish Family,
Today is the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Here we are near the middle of February and we may have heard talk about people affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is prevalent this time of year due, in part, to the decrease in sunlight. One of the symptoms is depression. Almost everyone experiences depression some time in their lives. Some people struggle with it throughout their lives; others have days or months when life seems hopeless.
No one in the Bible experienced despair as much as Job. Job lost his livestock, his servants, his children, and his home due to forces of nature and enemy troops. In swift succession, Job lost everything that was dear to him.
At first, Job accepts this. He knows he came into the world with nothing and will leave this world with nothing. What he has belongs to God. God determines whether or not Job will keep it: “the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
But later, as the reality of his loss sinks in, Job experiences despair: “I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me”, he says. “My days come to an end without hope. I shall not see happiness again.”
When we experience those emotions we may feel far from God. The security we once felt in God’s presence departs.
But Job’s raw emotions appear uncensored in the Bible and in the Sunday readings. All human experiences find their place under the mantle of God’s farseeing care.
I offer you the familiar “Footprints Prayer”. While I have read it countless times it still brings consolation, hope and comfort.
“One night I had a dream. I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and across the skies flashed scenes from my life. In each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One was mine, and one was the Lord’s. When the last scenes of my life appeared before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand, and, to my surprise, I noticed that many times along the path of my life there was only one set of footprints. And I noticed that it was at the lowest and saddest times in my life. I asked the Lord about it: “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. But I notice that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why you left my side when I needed you most.” The Lord said: “My precious child, I never left you during your time of trial. Where you see only one set of footprints, I was carrying you.”
This weekend at the 10 am Mass couples who are celebrating special wedding anniversaries will renew their vows and receive a special Blessing. In the name of the entire parish I congratulate them on this special milestone in their lives! We will continue the celebration afterwards in the gym where light refreshments will be served.
As you know from last weekend our Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA) is underway. I thank all who have already made a pledge to this important fundraiser in the life of our local church and I invite everyone who has yet to make a pledge to consider doing so. The AAA supports the many ministries, offices, and outreach programs of the Archdiocese. It is the largest non-profit provider of care and services in the state of New Jersey.
Our goal is $38,429.00 and so far we have received pledges of $4,263 as of 2/2/09. Pledge envelopes can be found in the pews, at the doors of the church, or in the rectory.
Thank you for your Stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure, and for all that you do for our parish.
Love,
Fr. Larry
If you have not done so, please remember to return your completed pledge envelope for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. You may place the envelope in the collection basket or bring it to the office. For those who have already made a contribution, thank you for your support.
Our AAA goal this year is $38,429.00
STEWARDSHIP: We are called personally to cooperate with God; St. Francis de Sales (January 24th) (1567-1622) (Continued from last week) Above all, watch that you never let go of His hand and His protection, thinking that in this way you can gather more. If He should forsake you, you will not be able to go a step further without falling to the ground. What I mean is that in ordinary activities and occupation that do not require strict, earnest attention, you should look at God rather than at them. When they are of such importance as to require your whole attention to do them well, then you should look from time to time at God, like mariners who, in order to arrive at the port they are bound for, look at the sky above them rather than down at the sea on which they sail. Thus God will work with you, in you, and for you, and afterwards your labor will be followed by satisfaction. Jesus was the ultimate steward.
Our Stewardship of Treasure for 2/1/09
amounted to $6988.50
Our Children’s Offering = $75.00
Repairs & Maintenance = $110.00
Monday: Gn 1:1-19; Mk 6:53-56
Tuesday: Gn 1:20 — 2:4a; Mk 7:1-13
Wednesday: Gn 2:4b-9, 15-17; Mk 7:14-23
Thursday: Gn 2:18-25; Mk 7:24-30
Friday: Gn 3:1-8; Mk 7:31-37
Saturday: Gn 3:9-24; Mk 8:1-10
Sunday: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46; Ps 32;
1 Cor 10:31 — 11:1; Mk 1:40-45
