Saint Francis of Assisi
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Saint Francis of Assisi ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH 101 West Church Avenue Masontown, Pennsylvania 15461 Phone: 7245837866 • Fax: 7245830373 Website: www.sfoafayette.org email: [email protected] A Parish of the Diocese of Greensburg A Pennsylvania Charitable Trust Rev. William G. Berkey, Pastor June 13, 2021 [email protected] Rev. Marlon Libres Pates Shared Parochial Vicar M, T, W & F8:00 am Saturday4:00 pm Sunday8:00 am & 11:30 am Confessions: Saturday 3:003:30 pm M, T & T8:00 am Saturday:4:00 pm Sunday 9:30 am Confessions: Saturday 3:003:30 pm Office Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Bulletin Articles: The deadline for placing articles in the bulletin is Monday at Noon. New Parishioners, Welcome! Please register as soon as possible. Communion to the Homebound is provided on a regular basis. Call the Parish Office to be added to our list. Sacrament of Baptism: By appointment. Prior to your baby’s Baptism, you must be a registered, practicing member of this parish. Sacrament of Marriage: Requires parish membership by at least one of the parties for six months prior to making arrangements for marriage. Weddings should be scheduled one year in advance. Prayer Chain: To request prayer, please call Patty 7242459746 or Valeria 7245839460 . Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today we reenter back into Ordinary Time. We will see green every Sunday until the end of November, with the exception of the Assumption which will be white. As a community of faith, we are called to listen to God’s Word, receive the Lord in the Eucharist, and go forth energized for the Christian mission. May our faith be increased, exercised and strengthened for our life’s journey. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which springs up and becomes the largest of plants, like a tender shoot from the cedar which will bear fruit and become a majestic cedar. So shall the just one flourish, like a cedar. As we walk by faith and not by sight, may our lives bear fruit in abundance. Monday is Flag Day. On this day, we celebrate the adoption of the flag of the United States which happened on June 14, 1777. We also celebrate on this day the birthday of the Army. Fly your flag this day!! I would like to thank the Girl Scouts for replacing the flag in Masontown. A job much appreciated! Thank you!! The United States Flag As we look at the flag of our country, let us always remember its true meaning, for a flag without meaning is only a piece of cloth. The red of our flag stands for valor and bravery like that of those who fought to protect our freedoms. White signifies purity and innocence, as that of our Founding Fathers’ intent to secure the rights of all. Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice, as all are needed in any government to secure the blessings of God. And as our stars and stripes point to the stars of the heavens and the rays of the sun, let us never forget that our country must depend upon God’s blessing and protection. Saturday is the Feast of Saint Romuald. Born in Ravenna, he led a selfindulgent life as a young man but when he saw his father kill an opponent in a duel, he fled to a monastery. Romuald yearned for a stricter life than he found there and so he withdrew to become a hermit. Eventually, he founded the Camaldolese branch of the Benedictine family, integrating community life with the solitary life. He urged contemplative prayer through solitude, silence and fasting. “Better to pray one Psalm with devotion and compunction than a hundred with distraction.” (St. Romuald c 9511027) Next weekend will be my final weekend here. I met with Father Dinga, who I am replacing, this past Monday and then I met with Father Marlon, who is replacing me, on Tuesday. Let us pray for a smooth transition. Question of the Week: What resources and talents do I have that I can use to build the kingdom of God like a seed that grows to a fruitful plant? Our Psalm Response this week: “Lord it is good to give thanks to you” reminds us to always give thanks to almighty God. Peace, Fr. Bill GOD’S TIME Next Sunday is Father’s Day. All Masses next We either pay attention to or ignore “clock time” weekend will be offered for all of our fathers, both as we play in the summer sun and note the earth’s tilt and living and deceased, as a gift of love and gratitude. the lengthening days. We live by time. We reckon time in seconds and minutes and hours, or we use broader chunks like suppertime and summertime. FEAST OF FAITH The Preparation of the Altar God keeps another sort of time. God speaks to us The altar is the focal point of our churches. It is of “saving time,” that is, the time of salvation. This sense a sign of Christ in our midst; indeed, it has been said that of time is called Kairos, and this time is always now, al- “the altar is Christ.” The altar is a table on which the sac- ways present and available, always revealing, often sur- rifice of the cross is perpetuated in mystery throughout prising. the ages until Christ comes;” but it is also the place for a This Sunday’s readings alert us to the reality and festive meal: “a table at which the Church’s children as- the import of God’s time. Ezekiel and the Gospel of semble to give thanks to God and receive the body and Mark remind us that our labor and our plotting and our blood of Christ.” (Dedication of an Altar, 4) planning rest in God for God takes our smallest efforts Both these functions of the altar are clear in the and makes of them great works. Paul points us to the rites for the preparation of the altar that follow the gen- “harvest” time, urges us to be watchful for its coming and eral intercessions, which remind us of the preparations calls us to recognize that we must spend our time pleas- we make at home for a festive meal. The deacon or altar ing God. servers come forward and, bowing, place a cloth known as a corporal (from the Latin for “body”) over the altar INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK cloth. They place the chalice, the cup to be used in the Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mus- celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacramentary or Ro- tard seed, the tiniest of seeds. When planted, the tiny man Missal, which contains the prayers of the Mass, on mustard seed grows into a tremendous tree with large the altar. These reverent preparations help us to focus on branches. So, too, in each of our lives small things can what is about to happen: the sharing of a holy meal, a have profound effects. God can use one of our more in- solemn sacrifice. significant gestures to radically change another person’s life. It may be the kindness of a smile, our willingness to accommodate someone, listening to someone’s story, helping someone who is hurting, standing up for someone who is right or complimenting someone on something they did. We all have God given gifts and talents. What are some of yours? Our task is to use our talents crea- tively, consistently, lovingly and generously. Because we are always guided by the Holy Spirit, things that may be insignificant or unnoticed to us can profoundly change the life of someone else. While we may think we are small and insignificant, God can make us large and mag- nificent. All we have to do is open ourselves to being used. We trust that God will take care of the rest. PRACTICE OF CHARITY Today’s readings from Ezekiel and the evangelist Mark relate the power of God in our lives through nature. These readings help us to learn more about our role in God’s world and God’s desire that we build the kingdom here. As a practical application of growing more believ- ers, we might consider getting our hands dirty in a com- June 6: $6,393; loose $795; monthly $1,335; munity garden. What better place to learn about kingdom children $11; online $387; Accent $388 totaling $8,959 building than by working with others to grow vegetables 308 envelopes used of 816 issued that help feed families? Besides growing produce, we can witness God’s creative growth among our fellow gar- Our Parish is very grateful for your continued deners. support especially during this critical time! Ordinary Time Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World Ordinary Time is the season of the Church year when Catholics are encouraged to grow and mature in daily hosted by the Roman Catholic Churches of Uniontown in Saint Joseph Church Social Hall expression of their faith outside the great seasons of celebration of Christmas and Easter and the great Exhibit hours on Parish Adoration Day as follows: periods of penance of Advent and Lent. Sunday, June 13 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Ordinary Time is a time to deepen one’s prayer life, Wednesday, June 16 2:00 to 7:00 pm read the Scriptures, unite more deeply with the Lord in Friday, June 18 8:00 am to 7:00 pm the Eucharist and become a more holy and whole person.