A Parish of St. John the Baptist Ministerial Excellence Roman Catholic Church 2021 SANDRIDGE ROAD • ALDEN, NEW YORK 14004 Rectory Phone: 716R937R6959 • Fax: 716R937R0075 Email: [email protected] Website: www.StJohnAlden.com MARCH 1, 2020 • 1ST SUNDAY IN LENT Rectory Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PARISH LIFE St. John the Bapst School: 2028 Sandridge Road • Alden, New York 14004 School Phone: 716R937R9483 • School Fax: 716R937R9794 Pastoral Administrator: ………Deborah A. Brown Priest Moderator: …….Rev. Msgr. Vincent Becker Faith Formaon: 716R937R6959 Sacramental Minister: …….Rev. James A. Walter Faith Formaon Email: [email protected] Sacramental Minister: …….Rev. Richard DiGiulio Youth Ministry: [email protected] Permanent Deacon: …………….Marc Leaderstorf New Parishioners: Please contact the rectory to register. Permanent Deacon: ……………….Peter Donnelly School Principal: ………………….Jonna Johnson Business Manager: …………………….Kate Wypij Director of Music: …………………Dan Stachelski Catechetical Leader: ………………..Jenny Golinski Youth Ministry: …………………….Brandon Adkins Administrative Assistant: ….Stephanie McCormick SACRAMENTAL LIFE Eucharist: Saturday-4:00 p.m. Sunday Masses-8:00 a.m, 9:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Weekdays (Monday-Friday)-8:30 a.m. Vigil Mass - As announced Holy Day - 8:30 a.m. & 12:10 p.m. Reconciliation: Saturdays from 3:15-3:45 p.m. and by request. Baptism: Baptisms are held the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month at 12:15 or during a Mass. Please call the office at least 3 months in advance to schedule. First-time parents must take a class on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the rectory. Marriage: Arrangements should be made at least 9 months ahead. A Marriage Preparation Program is required. First Friday: Eucharistic Adoration (9 a.m.-7 p.m.) Letters of Recommendation: Given to those who attend Mass regularly, are registered at least a month in the parish, and are baptized and confirmed. Also, married parishioners must be married in the Catholic Church. Bulletin Deadline: Articles and inserts are due 4:00 p.m. Friday, one week prior to publication. MISSION STATEMENT St. John the Baptist is a faith-filled Catholic Christian community, centered on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and His Church. We watch and pray as we respond in loving service to the needs of our greater community. We aspire to grow in holiness, dedicated to life, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in order to inspire faith and hope in all people. WǕǕǛǕǞǔ ǟǖ 2/23/2020 RǕǗǥǜǑǢ CǟǜǜǕǓǤǙǟǞ Today we begin Lent with the Matthean (cycle A) version of the Temptation of Total........................$8,218.20 Christ. The First Sunday in Lent is always in the desert which is a perfect place to WǕ SǘǑǢǕ begin our Lenten journey. We need to go to the desert and divest ourselves of all 2/15R2/21………………..$879.00 that gets in the way of our relationship with God and others. Once we clear out all FǙǣǓǑǜ YǕǑǢ Ǥǟ DǑǤǕ the sinful distractions, we can become open to where God wants us to be and the (9/1/2019R8/31/2020)....... efficacious grace he is always offering us. ............................$258,367.06 The first reading (Genesis 2:79; 3:17) presents us with part of the second SECOND COLLECTION: Our Second creation account and then the infamous story of how Adam and Eve, the first th humans, handled temptation. Their experience provides a contrast with the Gospel Collection on March 15 is for Fuel. (Matt 4:111) in which we see how Jesus handled temptation. Adam receives from Thank you for your ongoing God first the gift of life and then the gift of free will. He is placed with his wife Eve, generosity! in the garden of Eden, the place of Original Peace. Every day Adam and Eve commune with God. They have the most perfect relationship with the Lord God. STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Satan M temptation M concupiscence (a strong desire for something inherent in Fridays from February 28th – April 3rd humans) entered in and in the end, Adam and Eve give themselves over to the one at 7 pm thing God told them NOT to do. Fridays from March 6th – April 3rd at In the Gospel Jesus is tempted by Satan in our three human appetites: body (turn 1 pm (led by school) the rocks to bread), mind (rule the world), and spirit (throw yourself down of the Temple and God will save you). Jesus excels because his appetite is fixed THE PARISH CALENDAR: Our Parish completely on his heavenly Father. Selfdiscipline, grace, and humility give Jesus Calendar is on our website (and those of us baptized into his spirit) the strength to overcome. We believe that stjohnalden.com. Please check it Jesus was fully human and that he faced temptation as a human. By successfully regularly for up to date schedule staying in relationship with God, Jesus becomes the “new Adam” who undoes the sin of Adam. Jesus leads the way for us to be back in relationship with God information . imperfectly for now on earth and ultimately perfectly in heaven. The connection of these two events is beautifully conveyed in the second reading from the Letter to the FOR THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, Romans (Rom 5:12, 1719). The Psalm (Ps 51: 36, 1213,17) asks for God’s mercy MARCH 1 and a clean heart. These readings together form a powerful base to what we The Sanctuary light is lit to the celebrate at Easter. Indeed, the Exultet prayed at the Easter Vigil contains these Glory of God & For : lines: O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer! So as we begin Our Parishioners Lent, it is with the ultimate goal to prepare ourselves to enter fully into the joy of Easter and appreciate fully “the great, glorious Redeemer” Jesus Christ! So enter the desert and begin the cleansing of body, mind and spirit so you will be filled with grace and joy this Easter. NOTE: Deacon Peter is giving us a talk during Vespers this Wednesday on “Sin and Grace.” Please join us, it will be time well spent. LENTEN VESPERS & WEDNESDAY NIGHTS OF A Word from Today’s Scriptures FAITH SERIES AT 7 PM: Everyone is invited to The Temptation of Jesus: Then Jesus TǘǕ SǑǞǓǤǥǑǢǩ LǙǗǘǤ: Is come learn more about their Catholic faith was led by spirit into the desert to be available on a weekly basis to during the Lent Vespers. On March 4th we tempted by the devil. He fasted for remember the intentions of our loved will be discussing Sin and Grace with forty days and forty nights. Deacon Peter. Our session on March 11th Matthew 54:1-2a ones, living or dead. The cost is the will be on Evangelization. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD. same as a Mass intention ($15). This money will directly benefit the parish. Prayer Starter: Here I am Lord. I’m ready EARLY BULLETIN NOTICE: Due to Lent and to journey with you toward Easter. Guide MASSES FOR 2020: If you would like to Easter, we are requesting any content for me to make have a Mass said for a loved one, we have the bulletins for the weeks of March 22nd sacrifices this room in 2020 for Mass Intentions. and 29th to be submitted by March 20th. For Lent in the spirit of self-denial and the weeks on April 5th and April 12th, we with greater READINGS FOR NEXT SUNDAY: Genesis 12:1- are requesting all content for those bulletins 4a/Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 [22]/2 attention to you by March 27th. Thank you all who contribute Timothy 1:8b-10/Matthew 17:1-9 and those around to the bulletin! me. 2 PRAYER FOR THE 2020 CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL St. Joseph, patron of our diocese, help us build relationships within our community that strengthen and empower those who need it most. Let our carpenter tools of compassion, love and justice create a better world for those who are poor and most vulnerable. Help us find the means to make Western New York a better home through the 2020 Appeal. We ask this in the name of Jesus through your intercession. Amen. CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL: Think of Me: In Matthew 25:40, we FAITH FORMATION NEWS see Jesus’ message very clearly: ”Whatever you did for one of the Families of Faith - March 14/15-our topic this month will be least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” When all things about the season of Lent. we reflect on this year’s Appeal theme, “Think of Me,” we can First Reconciliation - Our retreat is March 7th at 9:00 a.m. see it then as not only thinking of our brothers and sisters in and the children will receive their First Reconciliation March need, but also Jesus. Your gift to the 2020 Appeal can help a 21st at 1:00 pm The retreat is for Faith Formation and School struggling family find stability through counseling, or a young adult Students. strengthen their faith through campus ministry. Think of them, and First Eucharist - Our retreat will be March 21st at 9:00 am, think of Jesus, and see your gift as doing God’s work here on a parent needs to attend with their child. Faith Formation and earth. Secure donations can be made online at ccwny.org/ School Students are to attend. Flower memorial donations donation or by calling Catholic Charities at (716) 218-1400.