Gifts for God - Holy Comforter Church

HOLY COMFORTER CATHOLIC CHURCH
SAINTS TO REMEMBER
MARCH
16 – St. Clement Mary Hofbauer
17 – St. Patrick
18 – St. Cyril of Jerusalem
19 – Solemnity of the St. Joseph
20 – St. Salvator of Horta
21 – Blessed John of Parma
22 – St. Nicholas Owen
23 – St. Turibius of Mogrovejo
MARCH 16, 2014
Gifts for God:
Offertory 3/8 & 9: $4,449
Justice & Peace: $145
Outreach: $1,146
Ash Wednesday: $773
PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR _____________
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday March 15
5 PM – Ted Reuter (Mary Reuter)
Sunday March 16
8:30 AM – Joseph Larner (Petroni-Conaway Family)
11 AM – Members of the Parish
Saturday March 22
5 PM – Members of the Parish
Sunday March 23
8:30 AM – Paul Zacharias (Petroni-Conaway Family
11 AM – Velma Hockman (Darlene Hilton)
THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR
SUNDAY (3/16) – SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
7 - 7:45 AM: Reconciliation
8:30 AM - MASS
9:45 AM: Children’s Stations of the Cross [in the Church]
11 AM –MASS
NOON: St. Patrick’s Day Feast [Lower Level]
3:30 PM: Rosemary Firer Funeral
MONDAY (3/17)
NOON –MASS
TUESDAY (3/18)
10 AM – NOON: Food Pantry
NOON – MASS
WEDNESDAY (3/19)
10 AM – NOON: Food Pantry
NOON – MASS
NOON - AA Meeting
6:30 PM - Medjugorie Rosary Prayer Group
7 PM – Choir Practice
THURSDAY (3/20)
8 AM - MASS
NOON - 1 PM: Soup Kitchen
FRIDAY (3/21)
8 AM –MASS
10 AM – NOON: Food Pantry
NOON - AA Meeting
SATURDAY (3/22)
8 AM – MASS
3:30 - 4:30 PM: Reconciliation
5 PM – Vigil MASS
SUNDAY (3/23) – THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
7 - 7:45 AM: Reconciliation
8:30 AM - MASS
9:45 AM: Children’s Stations of the Cross [in the Church]
11 AM –MASS
12/12:30 PM: – Author Veronica Mary Rolf discusses her book Julian's Gospel
PARISHIONERS: Winifred Smith, Frank Pologruto, Al Bracuti,
Norman Bednarcyk, Nicholas Sisman, Mary Ann Williams, Jim
Cannon, and N. Haun.
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES: Josephine Nampijja, Gloria Aberg, Grace
Dawn Wicke, Melyssa Dove, Nicole Carpenter, Beth Mauk, Evan
Dotas, Dave Halley, Cullen McQuhae, Bill & Marie Jones, Ray &
Cecilia Caretti, Jessica Caretti, Christine Bentéjac, David Rumpf,
Mrs. Jessica Viglietta, Pam D. Goines, Janet D. Gunther, Charlie
Joseph Previtali, Nicole Shaw, Jean Clayton, Rich Hawkins, Grace R.
Salvetti, Kimberly Hasenfus Hulick, Kristin Fagan, Merrilee Kubart,
and June Atherton.
MILITARY: Brian Fagan, Jamie Torbet, Mike Eiermann, David Alvey,
Charles G. Ellison, Eric Emmott, and Matthew Mickiewicz.
NEWS FROM HAITI
Anne Knasel (STA): [email protected]
Ginny Zeller (HC): [email protected]
www.saltadere.org
Please keep in prayers the
following parishioners who are just returned from visiting St.
Michel parish: Alexandra Colevas, Eva Tuszka, Gracie
Rosenbach, Aileen Gallagher, Bob Fromm and Larry Hofmann.
VISITORS TO ST. MICHEL SALTADERE:
BI-PARISH HAITI COMMITTEE:
The committee’s next meeting is
March 16TH at St. Thomas Aquinas at 1 PM. All are welcome. To
learn about the Bi-parish committee, you can e-mail Anne
Knasel or Ginny Zeller or visit the website.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
The weekly Stations of the Cross lead by Father Joseph
Mary will be held on Fridays of Lent at 6:30 PM through
April 11th. Weekly needs are a Cross Bearer and two
candle bearers. Families are urged to volunteer. Training
will be provided. Total time involved is less than one hour.
A sign-up sheet is on the credenza.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CHILDREN’S STATIONS OF THE CROSS → MARCH 16TH @ 9:45 AM
HOLY COMFORTER CATHOLIC CHURCH
MARCH 16, 2014
PARISH NEWS
NEW PARISHIONERS:
Paula Nania, Ginnie & Peter Gillen, Paul & Windy Forch,
Elizabeth Kurland, Maggie Yost, S. Chris McAuliff, Mary Griffin,
Steven Powell & Cezelene Panis-Smith, Stephen & Regina
Grammatico, Jim Brown, and Helene & Lawrence Gaffney.
BAPTISMS:
JANUARY 26, 2014: ALEXANDER MICHAEL STORM
MARCH 1, 2014: EMMA CHARLOTTE NEUBAUER
MARCH 2, 2014: AVA GRACE UGAS
JUSTICE & PEACE
When people leave our pantry, they usually have so
much food, they need help getting it to their cars. Where does
this food come from? There is bread and pastry from local
grocery stores such as Kroger and Food Lion. There is "free"
food from the USDA. There is food that we have purchased very
reasonably from the Blue Ridge Food Bank. There is food we
have purchased at retail prices from local grocery stores. There
are toilet articles that we have purchased from the Dollar Store.
And your generous donations round this out. What you give is
not extra. It's part of our care.
PANTRY:
PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK'S READINGS
ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF INTEREST
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
First Reading: Exodus 17:3-7
This story from Exodus reveals that the Israelites, after their
escape from Egypt, cast all blame for their sufferings on Moses.
In this instance, they were dying of thirst. When Moses
appealed to the Lord, the Lord directed Moses to strike a rock
and water would gush forth.
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
Paul reminds the Romans that because Christ died for all
people, they are acceptable in God’s sight.
Gospel: John 4:5-42
Jesus converses with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well.
When Jesus indicates that whoever drinks from the water He
gives will never be thirsty again, the woman immediately
answers, “Give me this water, sir...”. Jesus then reveals that she
has had five husbands and tells her that He is the Messiah. The
woman believes Jesus and proclaims this news to all the
townspeople, who believe her and come to see Jesus.
The 11 AM Mass is in critical need of
Altar Servers. Presently we only have 5 servers for any given
month. Requirements for being a Server are: you (and your
parents) are registered at Holy Comforter; you have received
First Eucharist, and you (and a parent) have attended the
necessary training sessions. Please pray and consider this
important Ministry. Former Adult servers are also encouraged
to apply. To apply contact Jim Morrisard at 434-973-6570.
WE NEED ALTAR SERVERS!!
MEDJUGORJE ROSARY PRAYER GROUP: Our Blessed Mother's message
of February 25, 2014 says: "...... You, little children, pray - live
God's commandments. You be prayer, you who from the very
beginning said `yes` to my call. Witness God and my presence
and do not forget, little children: I am with you and I love you.
From day to day I present you all to my Son Jesus." As part of
your Lenten Renewal, consider praying the rosary with us or on
your own. The rosary is a beautiful pray given to us by our Most
Blessed Mother. Join us in the Chapel on Wednesday evenings
at 6:30pm to pray the rosary and to experience the love of
Christ. For those who cannot make it, please remember to
write your intentions in the book in the Vestibule. We look
forward to seeing you. Any questions, please contact Barbara
Cassidy on 434-202-1540.
WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKENDS:
NEW EVANGELIZATION
Encounter the Joy of the Gospel and Set the World Ablaze
The New Evangelization committee will be announcing
opportunities, activities and events throughout the year. Our
goal is to have something for everyone to enable you to focus
on your personal growth and awareness of your love for Christ.
Please visit our website [holycomforterparish.org/community]
for some New Evangelization items such as Diocesan
documents, USCCB documents, book lists, and introductions to
some of the activities we will be putting together. Both the
website and bulletin will be updated throughout the year.
John the Baptist tells
us to reform our lives. Learn how to use the graces of your
Sacrament of Marriage to renew your marriage and draw closer
to God. Let the Lord strengthen, renew, and rekindle your
marriage by attending an upcoming Worldwide Marriage
Encounter Weekend on Sep. 12-14, Nov. 14-16 in Herndon, VA;
Apr. 11-13 in Fredericksburg, VA; Jun. 27-29 in Richmond, VA;
Aug. 8-10 in Roanoke; or Oct 10-12 in Norfolk. For more info,
visit renewmarriage-vasouth.org or call (757) 483-3209.
Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo
has authorized Father Joseph Mary to say Mass in Crozet
monthly. Mass will be held at the Field School, 1408 Crozet
Avenue, on the second Sunday of the month at 10:30 AM
beginning March 9th. If you are interested in attending, or would
like to volunteer to assist the Crozet committee, please send a
message to [email protected].
MASS IN CROZET ON SECOND SUNDAYS:
HOLY COMFORTER CATHOLIC CHURCH
MARCH 16, 2014
FROM THE PASTOR
TEMPTATION AND SIN
Temptation is the desire that induces us to sin, that desire excites within us the concupiscence of our senses to do evil
while omitting the good. The desire and craving for wrong things, things that God forbids and that are harmful to our
human bodies and spirits. We can be tempted by anything that appeals to our human desires that are contrary to the
will of God. These temptations can come in the form of unbelief, mis-beliefs, worry, jealousy, anger, wrath, slander,
clamor, immorality, laziness, drunkenness, complacency, selfishness, idolatry, selfish ambition, false securities, societal
pressures, family pressures, peer pressures, sexual allurements, the love of money, possessions, unbelief, immaturity,
failure to grow up in all aspects into Christ, unhealthy comparisons, sins of omission, sins of commission, sins of
disposition, sins of wrong assumptions. (Gal. 5:19-21)
Remember the temptation of Adam and Eve in paradise, and the threefold temptation of Our Lord in the desert. All the
saints were greatly tempted to mention just a few; St. Francis of Sales was tempted to despair; St. Francis of Assisi was
tormented by suggestions of impurity. Some saints experienced temptations against the faith; some temptations lasted
for years. On earth we are surrounded by temptations and many of us are overcome and wounded by them. The conflict
with the spirit of evil is a more critical struggle; it is carried on secretly, and against a more powerful adversary--one who
spares no pains and knows no shame; who, when he is repulsed, returns all the more defiantly to the attack.
Every war has its enemies. Even spiritual war has its enemies that can cannot be ignored. The spiritual tradition
unanimously points out three things to which we should never lower our guards: Our flesh, The world and The devil.
But the most dangerous enemy of man is man himself. Our first parents, who were in state of grace, with conscience
and freedom, were the cause of their own fall, in spite of the undeniable ability of the tempter. We must be very vigilant
regarding infinite shrewdness of our flesh, always ready to deceive itself and us, simply to be satisfied. Like a hunter,
who attracts the birds to his net by offering them the food they like best. Temptations present themselves in a way that
appeals to our appetite. Temptation is not in itself sinful, only consent in the suggestions of the tempter is sin. Hence we
ought not to be alarmed and uneasy when we feel the incentive to sin, but we should trust in God's help, saying: "O
Lord, make haste to help me! Jesus and Mary be my help!" To tremble in the hour of temptation betrays a want of
confidence in the divine assistance; the devil will assail the fearful soul only the more fiercely. Unless we remain calm,
we cannot possibly conquer. Those who lose their composure are like a bird caught in the net; the more it flutters and
tries to escape, the more it becomes entangled in the meshes. Our Lord promises us: "In your patience you shall possess
your souls" (Luke 21:19). The good Christian is like a soldier, who as a rule rejoices when war breaks out, in the prospect
of gaining rich treasure.
TO BE CONTINUED
HOLY COMFORTER CATHOLIC CHURCH
MARCH 16, 2014
Formation Notes
Dear Friends,
This next weekend, on Sunday March 23rd after the 11 am
mass, we will gather downstairs for a wonderful treat.
Veronica Mary Rolf will be in town as an author invited to
participate in The Festival of the Book. And she will also join
us here at Holy Comforter to discuss her very popular work
– Julian’s Gospel: Illuminating the Life & Revelations of Julian
of Norwich.
James Martin SJ, America magazine’s editor-at-large and
well-known Catholic commentator, says of Ms. Rolf’s book
that it is “[c]ertainly one of the best books on Julian of
Norwich I’ve ever read.” As the author himself of My Life with
the Saints, Fr. Martin is familiar with the special sort of
scholarship involved in the portrayal of the lives of historical
religious figures. “With a vast amount of research and a great
deal of passion,” he writes, “Veronica Mary Rolf successfully
recreates the world of the great mystics, provides careful
explanations of Julian’s rich experiences in prayer, and,
overall, paints a convincing portrait of one of the most
remarkable women ever to have lived – and believed.”
Julian, a mystic who lived in 14th century England, was the
first woman ever to write a book in the English language. Ms.
Rolf’s book “uncover[s] the political, cultural, social, and
religious milieu that formed and deeply influenced Julian’s
development as a woman and a mystic.”
The medieval period presents us with an astonishing
explosion of mysticism, one that includes an unbelievably rich
cast of characters, vibrant players in in a tense political time.
The Franciscan and Dominican orders battled bitterly over
theological proprieties. From the 11th to the 15th centuries,
the church launched crusades against infidels and heretics in
both the Middle East and the south of France. The Avignon
crisis – a period from 1309 to 1378 in which seven successive
popes resided in Avignon rather in Rome – exacerbated the
conflict between the Papacy and the powerful French crown.
The Catholic mystical tradition has no catechism or set of
rules. Instead, its practices vary widely from ecstatic visions
of the soul’s mystical union with God to simple prayerful
contemplation of Holy Scripture (lectio divina). The notion of
the “presence” of God – not only in the consecrated host but
in the encompassing sacramental experience of reality –
underscores mystical experience.
Julian of Norwich falls squarely within this tradition. Her life in
14th century Norwich, England (she is a contemporary of
Catherine of Siena) in many ways no doubt tracked the life of
many women of her time. And yet, she somehow wrote an
extraordinary text concerning her revelations of God. (For a
woman to be able to read during this period, much less write,
was not exactly the norm.)
Historical facts to ground the details of the lives of the holy
women and men of this period are few and far between. An
intricate understanding of the specifics of culture and place
and time are critical for us to comprehend the character and
vision of these people.
This is what Ms. Rolf essays in her book – to interweave the
personal suffering, the burning questions, and the visionary
experience of a classic Catholic mystic to produce a
compelling spiritual biography.
Ms. Rolf herself has a fascinating background. An
independent scholar of medieval studies, with a theater
background, she currently lectures on Christian Mysticism at
Holy Names University in Oakland, CA. She leads “Retreats
with
Julian”
and
blogs
on
her
website:
www.juliansvoice.com.
Join us for what will prove to be a stimulating discussion and
reflection. (With refreshments, bien sûr.)
Many blessings on your Lent,
As an almost intuitive spiritual response to these worldly
Dawn
events, a time in which the church was deeply invested in
[email protected]
political and property-based power conflicts, a contemplative
434.295.6559
“resistance” flowered in specific geographic areas – England,
Germany, Spain, and the “papal states.” Although too
fragmented to be called a movement, the period from the
March 23rd: Veronica Mary Rolf
early to late middle ages gave us some of our most
(downstairs after the 11 am mass)
memorable Catholic visionaries: Hildegard of Bingen,
Francis of Assisi, Meister Eckhart, Catherine of Siena, the
anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Teresa of The author discusses the process of researching and writing
Avila, and Thomas à Kempis (the author of The Imitation of her dramatic new study of the beloved Catholic mystic, Julian
Christ). (Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Avila, and Catherine of Norwich – one of the greatest medieval theologians.
of Siena have all been recognized as Doctors of the Church.)