We Welcome Our Lady of Guadalupe ~

We Welcome Our Lady of Guadalupe ~

The miraculous image of Our Lady will visit Saint Mary on three occasions in the coming weeks: Tuesday, 6 October and Thursday, 15 October from 3-8pm and on Wednesday, 21 October from  9:30-1pm in the church.

A digital copy of the original tilma of Saint Juan Diego in the basilica in Mexico City, this image communicates the loving presence of Mary, our Mother, through some beautiful signs. Healings, tears and glitter follow her, and one is able to feel the heartbeat of Mary as well as the heartbeat of Jesus in her womb.

This is one of the missionary images which began to circulate at Saint John Paul II’s request in June, 1991 at the International Rosary Congress and the National Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Image Guardian Vivian Mestey, from our parish, reports such wonders as common to those who venerate her image.

You, too, can experience these graces, signs and wonders through Mary’s mediation and respond to our bishops’ call for a culture of life in our country.

“Am I not here who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy?”

Meditation on October 4, 2015 readings

Meditation on October 4, 2015 readings


Direct link to audio file: 2015-Oct-04_08-44-34


Reading 1
Gn 2:18-24
The LORD God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a suitable partner for him.”
So the LORD God formed out of the ground
various wild animals and various birds of the air,
and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;
whatever the man called each of them would be its name.
The man gave names to all the cattle,
all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;
but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,
and while he was asleep,
he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib
that he had taken from the man.
When he brought her to the man, the man said:
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called ‘woman, ‘
for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”
That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife,
and the two of them become one flesh.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 128:1-6
R. (cf. 5) May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.
May you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
R. May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.

Reading 2
Heb 2:9-11
Brothers and sisters:
He “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels, ”
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.
He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated
all have one origin.
Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers.”

Gospel
Mk 10:2-16
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
“Let the children come to me;
do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.”
Then he embraced them and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.

Express Announcements ~ 4 October 2015

Express Announcements ~ 4 October 2015

* If you still have your Commitment Card, you are welcome to mail it in or bring it into the office. Everyone make a commitment to living your faith by getting involved in the parish!

* Parish Photo Directory sign-up is now open. Please visit our parish website to schedule your sitting / appointment.

* The prayer list for military men and women in the bulletin is being updated. To have a name added to this new list, please contact the parish office.

* Today, October 4 from 3:30pm – 4:30pm is the kick-off for the Middle School Youth Group. Please join us in the Parish Life Center for an hour of friends, faith and fun.

 

From Our Pastor ~ 4 October 2015

From Our Pastor ~ 4 October 2015

Dear Good People of Saint Mary,

It’s time again for one of those periodic columns when we catch up with a lot of housekeeping items, things that need to be mentioned for the good order of our community. Please give careful attention, and help one another in kindness to make our life together more fruitful and effective.

Volunteers. Please plan to join us on October 22 for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. If you have volunteered in any capacity at Saint Mary or Holy Cross Academy, I invite you for an evening of dinner and dancing at Holy Cross Academy, prepared and served by your parish staff! We gather together for a home-cooked
dinner and dancing to a great local band, Blue Tips Rhythm Revue, to thank you for your service to our parish family. It is always a lot of fun and I have the honor of giving out Volunteer of the Year Awards to those whose nominations again them the distinction of being some of our most treasured volunteers.

Hope. Some of us from Saint Mary gathered together and represented our parish family at the Hope Over Heroin event last weekend Friday and Saturday nights. People who were trying to beat drug addiction, parents who were looking for answers for their children with addictions, and volunteers from all over Fredericksburg came and ate a lot of cookies, and spoke with us. Especially as we had been listening to Pope Francis all week, I was filled with the truth that there was no other place that we should be at that moment, no other people we were placed here to serve than these people who needed to know the support of their community. It was good to be there to let them know that we were there for them. So many parents, since we have announced we were involved in this program, ave communicated their relief knowing that their Church truly cared. All I can say is that I am sorry that we haven’t been more involved in such real community issues up until now. We are here for you, and we care.

Thanks, Bishop Loverde. I understand that most of you have received a mailing from the Diocese asking you to fill out a spiritual bouquet card. All of them will be given to Bishop Loverde at the celebration of his 50th anniversary of priesthood (December 18) in early November. All of us know how important it is to be recognized for our goodness; even though we wouldn’t actively seek it for ourselves, it brings great satisfaction. Probably you know that Bishop Loverde reached his 75th birthday on September 3, the day on which all bishops submit a letter of resignation and retirement to the Holy Father. It is up to Pope Francis to decide when he accepts that resignation and his new assignments have come anywhere between nine and 15 months. Bishop Loverde’s anniversary is an opportunity for all of us in the Diocese to let him know how much he has done for us. He has been a true father, a good teacher and an especially good friend for us at Saint Mary, always supporting our initiatives and growth, as well as often looking to our parish to pioneer many of his programs. We have a great debt of thanks to him, so it is appropriate that everyone respond to this request. A spiritual bouquet is a gift we give to another consisting of prayers, sacrifices, good deeds  which we offer in his intention. The benefit of our good deeds is given to him, for his needs and the intentions he has in his own heart. Please respond generously with your gifts of sincere thanks.

Church kids. Parents, please consider the needs of people around you if your children are fussy at Mass. They can’t help it, but you can help us. When children seem to be more than momentarily upset, please know that we share  our frustration but hope that you will enable us to hear and better join in Mass participation. Please do not feel embarrassed if you need to step out of the church for a moment. Again, if  you don’t have children who are upset, you should not be in the cry room at all, it is reserved for noise and those who are looking for refuge with noisy children. It is NOT a play room alternative during Mass. Parents, also please keep your children from damaging our new pews. They are already in bad condition in some places. Also, I’m told, children have been gathering unsupervised by parents in the restrooms and playing, and running us out of paper products. Please keep an eye out for us. Thanks. Nobody likes to stop in and suddenly realize there is no paper, as happened often last weekend.

You are Called and Gifted. Last call: this weekend we begin the Called and Gifted Workshop. October 9 and 10. Please don’t miss it. We don’t know how often we will be able to repeat this blessing to our parish.

God bless you,

 Fr. Don