5Th Sunday of Easter May 2, 2021
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5th Sunday of Easter May 2, 2021 Living Mass Intentions for the Week OLPH: James & Denise Foster, Gerald & Linda Klein, Horst & Maria Fiedler, Jason & LouAnn Malach SMA: William & Paula Barkei, James & Carol Gehant, Sr. Dionysia Okeh St. Patrick: Martin & Denise Bickett, Westin & Rachel Montavon From the Gusset “How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” — John 10:24 Happy Easter! There is no suspense in Catholicism! Jesus has told us plainly – time and time again – every day in fact—that “this is My Body take It and eat It. This is My Blood take It and drink It.” Only Jesus can enter into us – become one with us, as He is one with His Father, and God does this – enters into us – becomes one with us – through the food of the Eucharist. Yet, we have Faith that is smaller (much smaller) than a mustard seed. We still say things like: how long are You going to keep us in suspense, Jesus? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly! We often wonder to ourselves: Does God really exist? Does God really, truly love me? Why won’t God work a miracle in my life? We wish that Jesus would just tell us plainly – I love you – everything is going to be ‘ok,’ – you will be a Saint in My Father’s Kingdom one day. I always think of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, when I read these verses from John’s Gospel. Remember the story? A mysterious man gives Jack some special beans, some magic beans in exchange for the family’s precious cow – Jack’s household’s last commodity. Jack’s family is very poor. The old man presses the beans into Jack’s hand telling the lad only that they are extremely precious – that Jack is definitely getting the better end of the deal. My brothers and sisters in Christ, the Brothers Grimm lifted this tale of Jack and the Beanstalk from theses verses in John’s Gospel chapter 10! Jesus says, “My Father has given you to Me.” Jesus says, “God the Father created you – you are special to God, God loves you – and God the Father has given your care over to Me, Jesus, His Son. No one can take you out of My hand.” You are the magic bean given to Jesus by His Father, and our Lord plants you in your specific vocation. Jesus says, “I give you all of My love in the sacraments of the Catholic Church – especially the Eucharist. Now bloom and grow and stretch your tendrils to Heaven – latch on to the trellis, called the Catholic Church – and grow way up into the sky. One day you will pierce the Heavens and become a Saint. There is no suspense in Catholicism – none whatsoever! You are loved by God. God has put you in the palm of His Son’s hand. Jesus gives you His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist, and this grace allows you to grow in holiness as often as you eat the Eucharist – until you become so holy, God the Father says to His Son, “well done Son! You have cared for this soul – loved it – it bears such delightful fruit – let Us take it into paradise with Us.” There is no suspense in Catholicism – these things will happen – you will become a Saint – why do you persist in your unbelief? Jesus has plainly done many works in His Father’s name that testify that He is God’s Son. And now Jesus wants to give you eternal life. Jesus says, My Father, has given you to Me, and no one is greater than My Dad. The Father and I are one – you shall never perish – you are truly always in My Father’s hand – no one can take you from God. That, my friend, is how special you are to God. Happy Easter! Yours on the Path Fr. Randy FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER MAY 1ST As part of the Year of St. Joseph, the Holy Father is encouraging us to work a plenary indulgence on the Feast Days of St. Joseph. Interestingly, Pope Francis pointed out specifically that we ought to invoke St. Joseph’s aid in helping those who have lost their job during the pandemic—that they may find dignified work. Though we typically work an indulgence for the deceased (because of the indulgences greater effect for those who are in purgatory), at the weekend Masses surrounding St. Joseph’s Feast of May 1st, we will work a plenary indulgence for someone, who is without a job. The spiritual and psychological trauma of not having a job are very binding (especially to men), and so we will invoke this great Worker Saint, who provided for the Holy Family of Nazareth, to intercede for workers at all the Masses this weekend. All Mass attendees will also receive a beautiful Novena to St. Joseph booklet, which they may use, especially for the 9 days leading up to the 19th of the Month (in order to celebrate on a monthly basis, St. Joseph’s Feast Day which is the 19th of March). “St. Joseph, while praying for our own intentions and for the intentions of all here present at this Mass, we earnestly ask you to help us to give hope to the poor and the unemployed.” Safe Environment Requirements to be Updated by June 1st As part of the Rockford Diocese’s Protecting God’s Children Program there have been a few updates to the Sexual Misconduct Policies. All volunteers are being asked to review the policy changes and agree to them. This can be done fairly easily by using the VIRTUS Online System. Just log on to your account at https://www.virtusonline.org/ and update your account information by clicking on the home tab and MY INFO. You will also be able to see, if you are missing any documents or trainings, and complete those through the system. Questions on Your Catholic Faith Why did Christ rise from the Dead? St. Thomas Aquinas thought that Christ rose from the dead in order to teach us! Evidently, man needs to know two things: 1) the glory of God and 2) the punishment of Hell. The reason you and I refrain from sin is because we are drawn by God’s glory and terrified by God’s punishments. Yet, we have trouble knowing of the glory of God, because we seldom seek out the things of Heaven. Being as we are on earth, we tend to think of earthly things: what we will eat, what we will wear…. That is why Jesus came down from Heaven and became man – in order to teach us of heavenly things! It is also difficult to know of the punishments of Hell – for no man has ever returned to tell us—remember the rich man with Lazarus, he was unable to come back and warn his 5 brothers. Yet, our Lord in coming back from Hell, now teaches us about this awful place where His Father’s name may never be mentioned. So, you see, the reason Christ became man and died and also that He rose again from the dead is so that Jesus can teach us both of God’s glory and Hell’s punishments. We remind ourselves of this every Sunday when we say that line in the Creed: on the third day He rose again from the dead. St. Thomas warns us: don’t wait until the end of your life to repent of your sins! He says, rather, that we should do so quickly – seeing that Christ rose again on the third day. Sirach would say: delay not your conversion to the Lord put it not off from day to day. (Sirach 5:8) Because, if you are sick at the end of your life – you will be unable to think of those things which concern your salvation – your pain and discomfort will occupy your thoughts. Also, if you persist in your sin, you forfeit your ability to share in the good works that the Catholic Church is doing. For example, during this Year of St. Joseph, we may work many plenary indulgences, but if we are attached to our sins – we cannot help our brothers and sisters in purgatory. Go to confession and receive the Eucharist for your beloved dead in purgatory and share in the good works of the Catholic Church! Finally, don’t hold on to your sins, because the longer the Devil possesses you, as St. Bede said, “the more loath Lucifer is to lose his hold on you!” Christ’s resurrection teaches us many other things, but the mere fact that a time frame is mentioned in the Creed (He rose again on the third day) teaches us to act quickly to get out of our sins once we have committed them. Mass Intentions Saturday, May 1st St. Joseph the Worker Day (+) Ronald Fronek/ Fr. Randy 4:00 pm, OLPH (+) James Walker & (+) Ferna Walker/ Joni Walker 5:30 pm, SMA Pro Populo/ Fr. Randy Sunday, May 2nd 5th Sunday of Easter 8:00 am, St. Patrick (+) William Apple/ Mr. & Mrs. Leo Bushman 10:30 am, OLPH (+) Ronald Vaessen/ Mr. & Mrs. Harold Bonnell Monday, May 3rd Saints Philip and James (+) Robert Kellen/ Mr. & Mrs. Steve Althaus & (+) William Kellen/ Fr. Randy Tuesday, May 4th 7:30 am, SMA (+) Betty Jane Wilhelm/ Mr. & Mrs. Michael Dinges & (+) Ronald Fronek/ Fronek Family Wednesday, May 5th 8:00 am, OLPH (+) Pat (Jones) Garland/ Jeanne Shanyfelt & Nancy Cicchetti & (+) Raymond Ritola/ Jean Ritola Thursday, May 6th 7:30 am, SMA (+) Janet Hornung/ Family 8:30 am, OLPH (+) Margaret Bonnell/ Mr.