APRIL 14, 2019 PALM SUNDAY 13900 BISCAYNE AVE. W ROSEMOUNT, MN 55068 PHONE: 651-423-4402 www.stjosephcommunity.org Weekend Mass times: Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 7 am, 8:30 am, & 10:30 am Family Formation Nights! Elementary Grades 1-5 First Wednesdays of the Month Every first Wednesday of the month during the school year we will gather as families in place of a regular Faith Formation night! All Faith Formation, School, and Parish Families are invited to gather together to grow deeper in faith through dynamic NEW Curriculum! Children will dive into Bible speakers, prayer and activities. stories, connect them with Catholicism, and be called into action to live out the faith every week. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Middle School Grades 6-8 The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program continues to grow and we are excited Grade 6 - Encounter to be adding our first Level III group! A Bible study specifically designed Level I - Sundays for PreK-K for Middle School youth! Through Level II - Wednesdays for Grades 1-3 DVD presentations and small group Level III - Tuesdays for Grades 4-6 discussion, youth are drawn into the Salvation story and who God is. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Open House Grades 7 & 8 - Altaration Sunday Morning, May 19th Youth learn about the beauty and mystery of the Mass through DVD presentations and small group Confirmation Preparation discussions. NEW Program Design! Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, Confirmation preparation will be incorporated into High School Grades 9-12 the High School Wednesday night formation! Preparation will take place in 10th Grade. Confirmation 2020 Informational Meeting NEW Program! NEW Meeting Day! Wednesday, May 29 at 7 - 8pm High School teens will gather on Wednesdays in th large and small groups to unpack and learn more (Current 9 Grade Families Please Plan To Attend) about their faith. Excellent programs such as: Chosen, Decision Point, and YDisciple will be used Check out more information at this weekend’s in conjunction with guest speakers to build a deeper Ministry Showcase OR on the new relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Faith. St. Joseph Community Webpage! PADRE PAUL’S PONDERINGS Holy Week is A Time to Grow in Our Faith Recently Apple updated their iPhone software so now my Holy Thursday gives us a lot to think about too. There is the iPhone will tell me how much time I spend each week on social institution of the Eucharist, God’s gift of love to us when we media or playing games on the phone. Admittedly I don’t pay celebrate at every Mass. There is the institution of the priesthood too much attention to the numbers, but I am on my phone quite a which makes it a special day for thinking about my ordination bit. I’ll play “Words With Friends”; check the news; check social and how I live out my vocation. What I’ve always been struck by media; and put on music on the XM app while I exercise. And is the washing of the feet. We do this as a reminder of what that’s just my phone. I’m also of course spending time on my Jesus did, but what I love with this ritual is that it’s a visible thing computer (like I am now as I write this column). In terms of time we do at liturgy to basically say “OK people, if you are going to spent on other things, there’s thinking about the day ahead and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and say I am a Christian, here’s the week, working on different tasks, and thinking about what what it means.” We can grow closer to God by coming to Mass. still needs to get done. Most of us are pretty busy; we spend so That’s a big part of it. There is a lot of beauty in liturgy. A good much time on work, school, family activities, and are on the go. liturgy can bring us higher and touch the soul, and I have to tell Perhaps at some point the iPhone will tell me about these other you, I really love how we celebrate liturgy here at Saint Joseph’s things too, and I imagine it’ll be a lot of time spent on them. - Bill Bradly who directs music and worship does an amazing job at helping people move closer to God through worship, but My iPhone though does not tell me how much time I spend on my liturgy always has to connect us to the greater community. faith each week, nor does it tell me how much time I spend Remember the words of Pope Francis, that the Church is a field thinking about God and my relationship with Him. If our phones hospital. So as we see the feet being washed, it helps us think did that though, what would it say about that part of our lives? about who’s feet we need to wash. Who might be hurting in our How would it compare to all the other things we do? lives; who we might be neglecting; or who might be hurting. Jesus even washes the feet of Judas. Some people in our lives our We do have to be engaged in the world and stay busy. We lovable. Some people are challenging. We can’t just serve or also need to think back to Ash Wednesday: from dust you came, love when it is convenient - what Jesus does is give us a mandate to dust you shall return. That is a reality, but it is a reality to do for others what He the master has done for the 12. changed by God’s love, and what Jesus has done for us. This That’s something that we need to live out daily. week gives us the chance to think more deeply about the greatest love story ever told, Christ’s Passover from death to life. What strikes me with Good Friday is the greatest love story We think about God’s love for us, but also of how we need to ever told. How Jesus would do this for me, even if I were the only respond to that love and maybe not think as much about the next person ever created. How I do not deserve mercy, but am given day, but about eternity. Where is our life headed? What are we mercy by a God who is love. How I also suffer loss in my life prepping for? Are we ready for the time, as Johnny Cash would losing people I care about and experiencing pain, but that God say, the Man will come around, meaning our judgment day? suffers too with me. Yes, we are sinners and do evil things. Yes, we suffer so much in this life. We are loved - and this is how far As we ponder these things we should not be filled with fear, but God goes for us out of love. Think about that on Good Friday as with hope, love and a desire to look to Jesus and learn from Him you touch the cross and reflect on the Passion again. Turn your about how to grow closer to Him, and bring His love into the sins and struggles over to the one who is love itself and let that world. Holy Week gives us the perfect opportunity to do just liberate you. that. Lastly, Holy Saturday. If you have never been to the Easter What I’ve found is that each of the liturgies can have a Vigil, do consider going. Yes, it’s longer, but it’s worth it. It’s so different way of helping me to grow in my faith. I hope you’d amazing to see the light dispelling the darkness as the Easter fire think about that as you prepare to celebrate this most solemn is lit; the new Easter candle blessed and all the candles being lit week on our calendar. from that candle; people entering into the Catholic Church and affirming their faith after studying it; and the “Alleluia” sung We begin today on Palm Sunday, and what strikes me with the again. We are reminded of God having the last word over day is the shallowness of people. Many of us been burned by death and of our redemption. It fills one with hope, and when fake people in our lives; but let’s be honest, sometimes we have you hear the “Exultet” chanted, and the Litany of Saints prayed done that to other people. You have the crowds who say for the newly baptized and confirmed, you are overwhelmed “hosanna!” but then drop the palms and walk away quickly when with this sense of God’s love and the power of the love that they realize Jesus is not going to be a political leader. You have exists in the body of believers, the Church. jealousy from the Sanhedrin and those who see Jesus as a threat to their power. You have the cowardice of Pilate who knows the So much more could be said about Holy Week, but I’ll just close right thing to do but doesn’t do it, even when God is literally with this: go to the liturgies. They are not obligatory holy days, staring him in the face. You have Judas pretending to be loyal but as you experience the liturgies this week, my guess is that but betraying his friend with a kiss. This liturgy challenges us in a you truly will grow in your faith and be touched by the love and way to think about how serious we are about the word “love” grace of God.