WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Sunday, February 17 – Sunday of the Prodigal Son
9:30 AM Parishioners of St. Mary’s
Monday, February 18 – Leo the Great, Pope
Tuesday, February 19 – Archippus, Apostle
Wednesday, February 20 – Leo of Cantania, Bishop
Thursday, February 21 – Timothy, Venerable
Friday, February 22 – Finding of the Relics of the Martyrs of Eugenia
Saturday, February 23 - 1st All Souls Saturday
8:30 AM
Sunday, February 24 – Sunday of Meat Fare
9:30 AM Parishioners of St. Mary’s
Cantor: Mike Mina, Reader: Matthew Wiggins, Coffee Social: Nancy Sumandra
11:00 AM ECF Classes
PRAYER REQUESTS
Please remember the following people in your prayers: Estella Biedenbender, Ken & John Bosak, Jackie Brait, Julie Carlin, Andrea Castaña, Fletes Family: Alicia, Frankie, Layla & Veronica, Victoria Flores, Holly Garlow, Michelle Grana, William Harkness, Virginia Harrington, Michael Hefferon, Rob Hooper, Rev. Ed Jaskula, C.R., Chris Johnson, Patricia Kurczak, Irene Lehman, Elizabeth & John Mallas, Dylan Mancia, Toni Martin, Marg Mauro, Juan Gabriel Martinez, Pedro Medina, Mina family: Mila, Diana, Rev. John & Mike, Shannon O’Neill, Sylvia & Ted Pasnak, Tanya Petach, Diane Romano, Rev. Frank Rog, C.R., John Smith, Robert Stamer, Leanne Steuer, Nancy Sumandra, Mary Washko, Dina & Matthew Wiggins, Carmen Zambrano, Lana Zimmerman, Patrick Zimmerman, Fr. Chris Zugger and all those who serve in the Armed Forces.
WEEKLY DEPOSIT
Collection: $1,645.00; Candles: $33.00; Coffee Social: $13.00
TOTAL: $1,691.00 / ATTENDANCE: 35
UPCOMING
- February 19th, 20th & 21st: Please pray for all those travelling to attend the Eparchial conference at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Phoenix, AZ
- March 4th: Beginning of the Great Fast, a day of STRICT ABSTINENCE.
EPARCHIAL APPEAL 2019
The Eparchial Appeal (formally Bishop’s Appeal) begins in January. The pledge form and information for the appeal will be sent directly from the Bishop’s office. Again this year, we are requested to send our pledges directly to the Bishop’s office in Phoenix, AZ, and our checks are to be made out to the Eparchy of Phoenix, write “Eparchial Appeal 2019” in the memo.
Our parish goal this year is $15,177.61. Please support the Annual Appeal to the best of your financial ability. BUT, PLEASE SUPPORT IT!
CREATED FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD
We were created for God’s kingdom, so we are not capable of being truly happy and satisfied anywhere else. But, we are afraid to turn to God, so we seek happiness and satisfaction from transitory things which can never satisfy us.
In the movie, The Poseidon Adventure, an elderly couple find themselves in a dangerous, frightening situation. The husband says to his wife: “Maybe we should pray!” The wife answered: “You haven’t been near a church in fifty years; now you think that you should ask God for help?” Well, yes! Now is always the right time to ask God for help! The very thought that “maybe we should pray” is a sign that the Holy Spirit is moving our hearts; we could not even think of praying, if God did not give us the impulse to pray.
Throughout this Lenten pre-season, we sing a hymn taken from Psalm 136: “We sat and wept by the streams of Babylon, and dreamed of our true home.” This is the great gift that we ask of God: that we may remember Zion, his Heavenly Kingdom. That we may not forget Jerusalem – the heavenly city – the goal of our earthly pilgrimage. We remember that in this world, we are all exiles, we are all “displaced” from our true home in the heavenly kingdom.
That gift of memory, of understanding our situation, enables us to resolve, like the Prodigal Son: “I will get up and go back to my Father!” With this realization, we resolve to make the effort during the Great Fast to travel the spiritual road back to the Heavenly Kingdom. It is not easy, it will take time and energy, and sometimes we shall be tired and weary. But we will not be alone, Jesus is with us, and so are all the Saints, and the Father is awaiting us with a loving, joyful welcome home.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and with all your mind.
-Luke 10: 27
