Our Lady of the Snow 175 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point, New York 11715 Telephone: 631-363-6385 March 24, 2019 3rd Sunday in Lent Be of good cheer, only work, only strive cheerfully; for nothing is lost. Every prayer of yours, every psalm you sing is recorded. Every alms, every fast is recorded. --St. Cyril of Jerusalem St. Cyril of Jerusalem (313‐386 A.D) is one of the great Fathers of the Church, those writers of the irst seven centuries or so of Christianity whose works are especially venerated as expressing the orthodox understanding of scripture and the faith. He is also numbered among the Doctors of the Church, a se‐ lect group of about thirty‐ive saints whose teachings have been given a special seal of approval by the Church. Director of Music: Mrs. Theresa Martin Parish Outreach: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday in the cottage Rev. Msgr. Charles Fink, Pastor Mrs. Diana Mongan, Director Rev. Joseph Gaspar Mrs. Patricia Fulco, Outreach Assistant Deacon Edward Karan (631) 363-2417 [email protected] Deacon Bob Gronenthal Parish Office: (631) 363-6385 Religious Education: Fax: (631) 363-7394 Monday – Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Hours: Mon. - Thur. 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Mrs. Patricia Bartoldus, DRE Friday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. [email protected] (631) 363-6394 Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Mrs. Loren Christie, ARE Ms. Loraine Drake, Asst., ext. 111 Mrs. Marlene Tully, Asst., ext. 110 [email protected] SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Saturday 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM in Large Church Monday 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM in Mother Church EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: DAILY MASSES: Monday 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM in Mother Church Monday - Saturday MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA 8:30 AM in Mother Church & BENEDICTION: Monday 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM in Mother Church WEEKEND MASSES: Saturday 5:00 PM in Large Church ROSARY: Sunday 7:30 AM in Mother Church Thursday March 28, at 4:45 PM Mother Church 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM Family Rosary: Wednesdays, 7:00 PM in Mother Church in Large Church Pray for Our Sick In Sympathy For all who have died this past week, that they rejoice in We pray for all who are sick, for their healing in the heavenly banquet… both body and spirit…. Howard Rohrbach, Dennis Conroy & Ed Martin, Laurie Berry, Donald Sheehan, Dominic Sblendorio Donna Crawford & Ramiro Del Castillo My dear parish family, With the exception of a four and a half year assignment at St. Philip Neri in Northport, every one of my priestly assignments has fallen under the patronage of either St. Joseph or the Blessed Mother. I can only surmise that God thought I needed extra special guidance and protection. Don’t most of us? And so the Church puts before us a series of Feasts each year to celebrate the lives of these two greatest saints and to encourage us to draw close to them and ask them to watch over us. Just last Tuesday, March 19, we celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Monday, March 25, we will celebrate the Feast of the Annuncia- tion, recalling the visit of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, asking her to be the Mother of God’s Son. This episode in the gospel is enshrined in the Rosary as the First Joyful Mystery, as well as in the prayer known as the Angelus (see this week’s Fr. Keep page). There are so many prayers dedicated to Mary that it’s very easy for Catholics to choose from among them to express their love and devotion. Not so with St. Joseph. Although there are many beautiful prayers to him, they are not as well known as the Marian prayers, and as he did in the Bible, Joseph tends to fade into the background of our prayer and devotional life. Yet Joseph has been a favorite of many saints, Teresa of Avila, e.g., and Pope Francis has seen to it that now Joseph’s name is included in every Eucharistic Prayer that may be said at Mass. There’s a beautiful centuries-old devotion to Joseph that’s very easily incorporated into our daily prayer and that can prevent him from slipping out of sight-out of mind. It consists simply of taking a moment four times each day to consider a particular aspect of St. Joseph’s sanctity: (1) his cooperation with grace and obedience to God’s will; (2) his silence and devotion to interior prayer and recollection; (3) his love of Mary; and (4) his love of Jesus. Just as of all people who ever lived, God chose Mary to be the Mother of His Son, so he chose Joseph to guard and protect that which was most precious in all of creation, in all of history. He was the guardian of the Holy Family, the protector of Jesus and Mary, the “Shadow of the Father,” watching over and nurturing the one who was the salvation of the whole world. Especially during Lent, take a moment four times each day, to ponder Joseph’s role in God’s plan, and ask God to give you a share in Joseph’s virtues. Alternatively, look up Pope Pius X’s beautiful prayer to St. Joseph, ending in these words: “All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate you, O patriarch, St. Joseph.” With love and prayers, Fr. Charles Fink Capt. Evan Bernstein Major Meghan Ederle Major. Kyle Brown Altar Bread and Wine Lt. Sean Brown In loving Memory of Rose DiToro Ensign Shannon Brown E3/ACAN Connor Rooney USN Sanctuary Candle in Mother Church DO,CPT,MC Kate Desmond-Baker In loving Memory of Emanuel Malizia Sgt. Samuel Campanella Lt. Robert Fleming TSgt. Mark C. Erickson SMSgt Harold L. Erickson Catholic Marriage for couples married outside the Church: If you have a civil marriage but now desire Sunday Mar. 24, 2019 a Catholic sacramental marriage, call the 7:30 AM Adeline Russo † Rectory for more information about a 9:00 AM Brendan Aykroyd † Convalidation. Convalidation is having a 11:00 AM Parishioners † couple’s marriage recognized and blessed by the Church through the Catholic Monday Mar. 25, Annunciation of the Lord Rite of Marriage. 8:30 AM Sophie Leary † Marriage: Tuesday Marc. 26, Arrangements must be made at least 8:30 AM William Kempel † six to twelve months in advance. It is advisable to call the church prior to Wednesday Mar. 27, arranging the reception. 8:30 AM Maria Vella † Rite of Christian Initiation (R.C.I.A.): Persons interested in becoming Catholic Thursday Mar. 28, and adults who have not received 8:30 AM Margaret G. Lacetera † Confirmation or First Eucharist, please contact the rectory office. Friday Mar. 29, 8:30 AM Margaret Lacetera † Communion for the Homebound: To make arrangements to have Saturday Mar. 30, Communion brought to the home, please 8:30 AM Brian Simonsen † call the parish office at 363-6385, ext. 110. 5:00 PM Parishioner For emergency sick calls, please call the parish at any time. Sunday Mar. 31, 7:30 AM Noel Braun † Baptisms: 9:00 AM Kathy Weaver † Are celebrated at 1:00 p.m. on the second 11:00 AM Teddy Hollmann † Saturday and fourth Sunday of most months. Please visit our website for com- plete information or call the rectory office. FR. JOHN KEEP: ON THE ANNUNCIATION The announcement of the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus is celebrated each year on March 25, exactly nine months before Christ- mas. It is recalled every time we say the Hail Mary, repeating Gabriel’s greeting to Our La- dy, and is enshrined in the prayer know as the Angelus, traditionally recited morning, noon, and night. Fr. Keep had a very deep and tender devotion to the Blessed Mother and thought that every time we say the Hail Mary we should try to do so with the same sense of courtesy and wonder with which he imagined Gabriel must have greeted this young Jewish maiden who was “full of grace.” Father suggested that, perhaps, this was the cause of Lucifer’s fall: that God vouchsafed to him a vision of the future, asking him to be the one to deliver the message of Christ’s incarnation to Mary, and that being filled with pride and disdain for what he took to be lowly humanity, he could not bring himself to say the words, “Hail, full of grace,” We very naturally would like to know more details about the earthly life of Mary— scripture tells us so little—but Fr. Keep says that in the words “full of grace” we know all we need to know about her and have in these words a lifetime’s worth of food for thought and contemplation. Very touchingly he asks whether occasionally we might take the time to say a very slow Hail Mary, pondering over each phrase of the prayer. “Would five minutes be too much?” he wonders. “Or even half an hour?” Ordinarily this entire page is directly quoted from the homilies or conferences of Fr. Keep. In this case his thoughts on the Annunciation are paraphrased and summarized. The Angelus The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary / And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, etc. Behold the handmaid of the Lord / Be it done unto me according to your word.