SAINT MARGARET OF SCOTLAND CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SCHOOL
MARCH 1, 2020 FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Game Night! PTA hosted a Trivia Night on Saturday, February 22 at St. Margaret of Scotland School, with players dressed up as their favorite board game pieces. Do you recognize Mario Brothers, Chess and Operation pieces?
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST Saturday 4:30 p.m. & Sunday 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Monday thru Friday at 6:30 a.m. and Fridays at 8:00 a.m. on school days
Holy Days and holidays as published in Sunday Bulletin
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. PǑǢǙǣǘ MǙǣǣǙǟǞ SǤǑǤǕǝǕǞǤ SǓǘǟǟǜ MǙǣǣǙǟǞ SǤǑǤǕǝǕǞǤ
Saint Margaret of Scotland Church St. Margaret of Scotland Parish School is a diverse, urban, Catholic parish. is a diverse, urban, vibrant, and Inspired by the Holy Spirit and the inclusive Catholic community. We example of our patroness, we are promise a challenging learning called to be a vibrant voice and beacon environment for children, pre- of the Catholic faith in our kindergarten through eighth grade, in which they neighborhoods. realize their academic potential and giftedness in body, mind and spirit. Our students embody the We proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and example of our patron saint as responsible leaders action by: and caretakers of our community through works of Praying and celebrating as a Eucharistic service and social justice. community, Educating children and adults to live a full Christian life in today’s world, MǟǞǤǘǜǩ GǙǦǙǞǗ RǕǠǟǢǤ
Serving others with unconditional generosity, and Living just lives and working for a more just January 2020
society. Total General Fund Contributions: $59,216.10 General Fund Budget Goal: $51,461.74 CǟǞǤǑǓǤ IǞǖǟǢǝǑǤǙǟǞ Amount Over/(Under) Budget: $7,754.36 Number of Sundays: 4 PASTOR: Rev. Matthew L. O’Toole [email protected] FY20 YTD (July ‘19 - January ‘20) RECTORY: 3854 Flad Avenue, Total General Fund Contributions: $377,317.73 Saint Louis, MO 63110 General Fund Budget Goal: $385,661.78 Office: 314-776-0363 Amount Over/(Under) Budget: $(8,344.05) STAFF DIRECTORY AVAILABLE AT: www.stmargaretstl.org/Staff
SCHOOL: 3964 Castleman Avenue STEWARDSHIP REFLECTION Saint Louis, MO 63110 “It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you Office: 314-776-7837 worship and him alone shall you ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: serve.” (Matthew 4:10) For emergency assistance call: 314-772-2219 Tempted between the riches and power of this PARISH/School WEBSITE: www.stmargaretstl.org world and service to God, Jesus chose service to PARISH EMAIL: [email protected] His Father. If we wish to truly follow Jesus, we, FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/SMOSstl too, must decide to turn away from worldly BULLETIN ARTICLE DEADLINE: power and riches and put God at the center of Monday, 2:00 p.m. our lives. Lent is our time to prune ourselves of E-mail submissions to: earthly things. Ask God how he is calling you to [email protected] serve.
O FǕǜǙǨ CǥǜǠǑ William Golding’s 1954 book The Lord of the Flies is a popular read for high school students. It tells the story of a group of adolescent schoolboys who, while being evacuated from a war, become stranded on a deserted tropical island without the presence of adults. As they cope without modern conveniences, the boys begin to form a system of order. Eventually, strong personalities emerge and disagreements about decisions turn ugly. Moreover, there’s the belief among the ǒǩ FǢ. MǑǤǤ O’TǟǟǜǕ boys that a wild beast on the island threatens their security. The situation leads to divisions. When first on the island, the boys celebrated their new-found paradise; but now it has become tribal, chaotic environment with escalating hostility, even death for some.
The author, William Golding, acknowledged that his novel is an allegory for the primordial nature of man and his ability to take a paradise and deconstruct it into a state of misery, a waste. On this first Sunday of Lent, we’re invited to hear again that familiar account of primordial man and woman – Adam and Eve – from the book of Genesis. Like The Lord of the Flies it tells some of the elemental truths that must be accepted and wrestled with in the spiritual life.
God plants a garden in the east and places there the first humans. Eden is a place of delight, of color, of vitality. The early Fathers of the Church spoke of the environment this way: “Adam and Eve at play in the Garden of Eden are humanity at its best.” God bestows on humanity a great permission and says to them, “Go, eat of all fruit of the trees in the garden.” The Church Fathers, again, read this as an invitation to science, politics, art, culture, conversation, friendship – all the things that make life rich, all those ways that awaken our powers and engage us. That’s what God wants for us in this garden of delight.
We know what happens next. Adam and Eve are seduced by the serpent. They see the tree at the center of the garden from which they are forbidden by God to eat as something alluring. And so they grasp it! They seize it for themselves! They’ve said, “We in our freedom, our minds, our will, we now become the criterion of good and evil. We will decide what is right and wrong.” The wisdom represented in the fruit of the tree at the center of the garden belongs to God. But our pride and obstinacy convinces us to believe otherwise. “I’ll be the one to decide.”
The title of Golding’s novel, The Lord of Flies, is a reference to the Hebrew name Beelzebub – translated as “god of the flies” – a synonym for Satan. Frightening and yet also enticing, it is this dark force that lures the curiosity of the boys on that island, causing them to cave in to their lust for power, their desires for control, the aggrandizement of their egos. It is an evil, dark tempter ... the lord of the flies. We sinners, spiritual descendants of Adam and Eve, are attracted to this same liar. All of our agony and struggle flow from this fundamental mistake. Like Adam and Eve, because of our pride or arrogance, we steer a course out of the garden. This is not the fullness of what it means to be human as God intended of us.
Into this desert walks God himself in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. In the gospel, Jesus’ forty days in the desert shows us the way back to the Garden of Eden. In his temptation by the devil, Jesus relies not on himself or his own devices. Rather, he answers the devil’s temptations by returning all authority and power in his life to the Father. This Lent, ask yourself, “What am I seeking? What am I making the center of my life?” Is God in that central place? If not, something else is tempting you. Is it honor? Pleasure? Power? Where are you in the desert? Cling to Jesus, who on your behalf resists and turns that desert back into a garden for you!
Graphic from Google image.
SǓǢǙǠǤǥǢǕ RǕǖǜǕǓǤǙǟǞ
Catholic Guilt. It’s commonly assumed that there is a widespread neurosis afflicting Roman Catholics, scarring them (us) for life. This assumption leads to the concept of the “recovering Catholic.” Sometimes these ideas are harmless enough jokes, shared within the family. Such quips recognize that our faith pervades our living and is a force to be reckoned with. ǒǩ PǕǤǕǢ FǙǣǘǕǢ HǕǣǕǔ
Today’s readings reference the competing forces of good and evil at the heart of Salvation History. From Genesis we hear of the disobedience of our first parents, the original sin. The passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is built on powerful vocabulary: sin, trespass, death, judgment, condemnation; transgressions, the gift, transgression, acquittal, justification. In the Gospel, the temptation of Jesus Christ in the desert reveals the complete union of humanity and divinity, and illuminates the mercy and compassion of God.
Of course, guilt can be an illness. Excessive, inappropriate, misplaced or crippling guilt can be a kind of mental illness. There is nothing uniquely “Catholic” about it, however. Studies show that there is a correlation between religious belief and the incidence of guilt. Catholics however don’t score the highest on this spectrum; Muslims, Pentecostals, Evangelicals are all higher. Atheists, not surprisingly, score very low. After all, if we have no “higher authority” might we not determine that we have a sort of moral carte blanche?
The absence of guilt can also be an illness. Psychopathy, borderline personality, narcissism and lack of empathy are all mental illnesses marked by a lack of guilt. What is healthiest, of course, spiritually, socially, personally, is appropriate guilt when one has caused a harm, and a desire and willingness to seek amends.
Maybe the reason that Catholic guilt is a thing is that it has a place in our world. It is an appropriate response to harmful actions (or inactions). t is massively overbalanced by the mercy and compassion of God. We are invited to reconcile: to own up to our sinfulness, to replace guilt with contrition, and to respond positively to our moral correction. Our responsorial psalm offers a prayer that all sinners can take up: A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Our Parish prays before the Blessed Sacrament every Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Drop-ins are welcome and encouraged. If you can commit an hour, or just a half-hour of time each week to sit with Jesus in our St. Vincent Children’s Chapel, please contact Parish Office 314-776-0363. You’ll be doing a service to the parish and to your own prayer life, too.
NǕǧǣ FǢǟǝ SǤ. MǑǢǗǑǢǕǤ ǟǖ SǓǟǤǜǑǞǔ SǓǘǟǟǜ
Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful. Lent is a time of prayer and renewal. It is an opportunity to refocus relationships with God and return to Him with a whole, gracious, and merciful heart on Easter Sunday when we then celebrate our risen Christ. Ash Wednesday, a day of prayer and fasting, marks the beginning of Lent. In classrooms this week, BǩCǜǑǢǕ YǟǥǞǗ students reflected on their own personal Lenten promises. Some students plan to give up sweets, be nicer to their siblings, or earn better grades in certain classes.
As a school community, St. Margaret of Scotland School will once again take part in the Rice Bowl Campaign that supports Catholic Relief Services. To help make this a more meaningful experience, we encourage our students to find extra ways to help out (lawn work, dishes, laundry, helping out younger siblings, etc) that they might earn some small change during Lent that can be part of their Rice Bowl donations. These donations will be collected at home during the Lenten Season and then brought to Mass on Friday, April 3rd.
For more information about Catholic Relief Services and activities you can do as a family during Lent, visit www.crsricebowl.org
RǕǣǠǕǓǤ LǙǖǕ NǕǧǣ BOY SCOUT NEWS
Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service It's time to recycle your electronic The 25th anniversary of St. Pope John Paul II’s devices! Troop 110 is holding their Evangelium Vitae gives us a wonderful opportunity annual e-recycling event on to assess, expand and communicate resources to Saturday, March 7, from 9:00 a.m. - pregnant moms and families in need. To that end, 12 noon. Certain fees may be the Respect Life committee of the parish would charged by the company to recycle certain items. like to sponsor a diaper drive to be held the Please view their website at weekends of March 21/22 and March 28/29. https://mrc-recycling.squarespace.com/electronics
We ask parishioners to pick up a package of -recycling-events/stlouis-mo-2020-03-07 diapers (any size, any brand) and bring them on for details of certain items. any of the above dates to drop off as they enter the church for Mass. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society members will be distributing them to their clients. Keep watching your bulletin for reminders of the above and future prayers, reflections and actions to observe the anniversary and the year of service to Moms.
MǑǣǣ IǞǤǕǞǤǙǟǞǣ FǟǢ TǘǙǣ WǕǕǛ TǘǙǣ WǕǕǛ IǞ OǥǢ PǑǢǙǣǘ
Monday, March 2 Tuesday, March 3 6:30 a.m. Nova Mrad + Living Justice Immigration Team Mtg., 5:30 p.m. - School Tuesday, March 3 Cafeteria 6:30 a.m. Patrick Brake Living Justice Care of Creation Team, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 - Canmore Room 6:30 a.m. The Casey Family + Thursday, March 5 Wednesday, March 4 6:30 a.m. Charles Willett + Centering Prayer, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - Chapel Friday, March 6 Finance Comm., Mtg., - 7:00 p.m. - Canmore Room 6:30 a.m. Walter & Peggy Kramer + Choir Rehearsal, 7:15 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Church
8:00 a.m. John Kelly + Thursday, March 5 Saturday, March 7 Eucharistic Adoration, 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Chapel 4:30 p.m. Elizabeth L. Meyer + 1st Communion Parent Mtg., - 7:00 p.m. - School Cafeteria Sunday, March 8 8:00 a.m. People of the Parish Friday, March 6 10:00 a.m. Beau Bowman + School Mass, 8:00 a.m. - Church Cub Scouts Lenten Pancake Dinner, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - To mark a special occasion or to remember a beloved Church Hall family member or friend, living or deceased, with a Sunday, March 7 Mass intention please call the Parish Office at 314-776- Rosary, 7:30 a.m. - Church 0363. The bishops of Missouri ask the faithful to make a Living Justice Advocacy Corner, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - $10 offering for each Mass if they are able. Church Hall
MǙǞǙǣǤǢǩ SǓǘǕǔǥǜǕ WǕǕǛǕǞǔ ǟǖ MǑǢǓǘ 7 ̅ 8 Saturday 4:30 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. Sunday 10:00 a.m.
ALTAR SERVERS Ellie Deiters Estell Andrews Ben Drebes Julia Dunn Charlie LeBlanc Madelyn Henry Audrey Molner William Lederle Sarah Wangard
EUCHARISTIC Margie Besing Cam Jansen Suzanne Bruce MINISTERS Carmela Garza Elaine Pudlowski Virginia Coates-Favron Carol Schumer Scott Wilson Rachel Kleinberg Matt Kuppinger Mary Jo Liberstein Emily Mulligan Mary Lisa Penilla Kaitlyn Venta Micah Wimbley
LECTORS Kathy Petersen Justin Roth Patrick Bittick Prudence Kramer Barb Blaes Julie Bradshaw
GREETERS Lucille Shirley Dianne May Betsy & Craig Rebholz Elaine Burrus Mike & Eileen Ruddy Joann Gremmelsbacher
COFFEE AND Pick-Up Clean-Up Coffee DONUTS Bob & Bernie Buscher Susan Agniel Mary Brake
DRIVERS Kevin Whirley Bob Buscher SǑǖǕ EǞǦǙǢǟǞǝǕǞǤ PǢǟǗǢǑǝ NǕǧǣ The Archdiocese of St. Louis has developed a new system for safe environment compliance called Prevent and Protect STL. Everyone ministering to minors and vulnerable adults (clergy, employees and volunteers) in the Archdiocese are required and asked to register in the new system before June 30, 2020. This includes those new to service and those who are currently in service. In addition to attending a live Protecting God’s Children workshop, all clergy, volunteers, and employees will register for an updated background screening, view two new online training modules on abuse reporting and the Code of Ethical Conduct, and agree to the updated Code of Ethical Conduct. For those who have already attended a live Protecting God’s Children workshop, your previous training date will transfer to this new system and you will not need to repeat this live workshop. Please go to www.preventandprotectstl.org click “Register” below the LOG IN button enter your name, enter the passcode stlprotect when prompted.
Select type of location where you are a volunteer or employee Parish or Parish School. Select the specific location by name St. Margaret of Scotland Parish or School. Click the roles associated with your employment/volunteer service at the parish. If you are active at only St. Margaret of Scotland this will be your primary location. If you are active at more than one location, click the ADD PARISH/LOCATION button and repeat the steps to assign yourself to other locations/parishes. Contact your parish Child Safety Coordinator Carmela Garza at 314-776-0363 with any questions or for further assistance.
LǙǦǙǞǗ JǥǣǤǙǓǕ NǕǧǣ
Catholic Relief Services Lent Resources: Did you pick up a Rice Bowl on Ash Wednesday? Did you know Catholic Relief Services and Operation Rice Bowl offer a variety of Lent resources online? Visit www.crsricebowl.org to read stories of hope from around the world, find meatless recipes from different cultures, and pray with the stations of the cross.
Immigration 201: Monday, March 9 at 6:30 pm in Church Hall, with Sara John from IFCLA will offer a new program that takes a more in-depth look at immigration, with a focus on what is going on here in St. Louis. Learn more about what you can do to help welcome the stranger.
Immigration Team Meeting: Tuesday, March 3 at 5:30 pm in the Middle School Building. All are welcome to join the Living Justice Immigration team as they plan events and learn more about how to serve immigrants in our community. Please contact Pat Dougherty with any questions [email protected]
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