St. Mary's Parish

Bulletin Reflection

Teaching with Authority

Imagine a teacher who made an impression on you. It could be someone from elementary, high school, college, or perhaps it wasn’t even at a regular school at all.

What was it about this teacher that made such a good impression?

Were they; smart, kind, caring. Perhaps it was the fact that they were just extremely passionate about what it was they were teaching, the kind of passion that rubs off on others. You get excited about a topic just by hearing them talk.

In today’s Gospel we hear that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, and when people heard him teach it was unlike anything they had heard before. It wasn’t like listening to the scribes, who taught about God’s laws as if they were reciting names from a telephone book. Jesus spoke as one who was intimately familiar with his subject material. He obviously spoke with passion.

But Mark also goes on to describe Jesus as one who taught with authority.

He spoke the word of God as no one had spoken it before.  When the Rabbis taught they supported their statements with quotes from other authorities.  The prophets spoke with delegated authority — Thus says the Lord.  But when Jesus spoke he needed no authorities to back his statements.  He was authority incarnate — the Word of God made flesh. Mark uses the healing miracle as a way of showing that even the unclean spirits recognized the authority of Jesus. “I know who you are.” They say to him.

The power that moves Jesus has its source in God; the authority that Jesus displays, both in his actions and in his words, is the authority of God Himself. When Jesus begins teaching, the people are deeply impressed; they can see for themselves the difference between how Jesus teaches and how other religious leaders teach. When Jesus teaches, something actually happens. It is not a matter of words decorating the air. Jesus creates an impression because people can see the change for good that it effects in the broken, crippled and the outcast.

The first reaction to all this goodness is of course positive. Jesus is the answer to a long awaited promise and they see in Jesus the fulfillment of this promise.

But this positive regard will not last. There will be those who begin to question Jesus’ authority. Those who feel their own standing threatened by what Jesus has to offer. They will begin to try and discredit the source of Jesus’ authority by degrading his background, where he comes from, who his family is. They will even suggest that the miracles that Jesus performs are possible not because of power given by God but rather power which has been given by the devil.

But despite the attacks Jesus’ authority will not diminish. The power of evil may have the upper hand for a while but it will not change the fact of who Jesus is.

Fr. Jon

Announcements

CWL:  The next CWL meeting will be held on February 1, 2012 following the 7:15pm Mass.  Before the meeting, Nadeem Imtiaz Bhatti will speak on the blasphemy laws in Pakistan and how it affects women.  Please renew your CWL memberships as soon as possible.

SERENA Saskatchewan invites you to a Valentine’s Day Social on Saturday, February 11th, 2012 (6:30-9:00pm) in the Our Lady of Lourdes gym (1235-12th Street East, corner of Wiggins Ave).  The evening includes a catered banquet (roast turkey and stuffing, oven roast potato, cauliflower/broccoli/carrot, Caesar salad, Mediterranean salad, homemade buns, sour cherry chiffon, wine), entertainment by Dolce Music, guest speaker, and awards.  All are welcome!  For tickets ($20/person), contact SERENA at 934-8223, 1-800-667-1637, or sask@serena.ca by Friday, February 3rd.  Annual General Meeting 12:30-3:00pm at same location.

 SODALITAS: Are you grieving and suffering from a loss?  Join us for SODALITAS; a safe caring group for reflecting and sharing for those who are experiencing grief.  Our next meeting is Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:00AM in the upper room of St. Mary’s Parish Hall.

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT Please join fellow parishioners for this valuable way of prayer on Saturday, February 4th, following the 9:00 a.m. Mass.

 K OF C BREAKFAST The next Knights of Columbus Breakfast will be held on Sunday February 12thfollowing the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Masses.  Everyone is welcome!

Thinking about kindergarten for this fall? Now’s the time to register your child! Catholic schools are friendly, safe, welcoming and staff are ready to help all students reach their full potential. We nurture faith, encourage excellence in learning and inspire students to reach out and help others – at home and around the world. Children who will be five years old by Jan. 31, 2013 can begin kindergarten in Fall 2012. Call your neighbourhood school to set up a visit or come out to an open house or a kindergarten information evening (all events start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated). You may also learn more at www.gscs.sk.ca We are rooted in faith, growing in knowledge, reaching out to transform the world!

Please join us for the closing prayer service for the Week of Christian Unity. Cathedral of the Holy Family, Sunday, January 29 at 3pm

HOST FAMILY SEARCH  Would you or a family you know be interested in hosting a female high school student from Japan. Three high school girls from Japan are arriving on April 4, 2012. They will be studying at three different Catholic High Schools in Saskatoon until March 30 2013.  Global Partners Institute is looking for potential homes. A family must consist of two or more related people living in the home at the time of hosting, have a bedroom available for the student, provide three meals a day and be ready to include a student as a member of their family.  Global Partners provides a monthly honorarium for hosting and support to the family and student. We would like to have our host families secured by mid February. To obtain additional information and or to apply please contact Jeannette Eddolls: SK Regional Manager for Global Partners at 306 – 763 – 4127 or at jeannette@gpicanada.com.  Check out our web site www.gpicanada.com

The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation Inc. is pleased to invite you to our 12th annual ‘Swing Into Spring’ Fashion Show & Dinner on Thursday, May 3, 2012 at TCU Place.  This enjoyable evening includes a buffet dinner, draws for door prizes including diamond jewelry, a VIP table, over 100 other draws and the latest in ladies’ and men’s fashions modeled by employees of Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools.  Early bird tickets are $60.00 until Feb 29, 2012. Beginning March 1, 2012 tickets are $70.00 each. Tickets are available from the Foundation office at 659-7003.  Please see the poster in the Welcome Area for full details.

On Monday, Feb. 13 Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools staff will share their talents at the Centennial Performing Arts Showcase, in honour of the school division’s 100th anniversary. The evening will include song and dance. The event begins at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph High School, 110 Nelson Road. Admission by silver collection. A wine and cheese reception will follow. Cash bar.  Confirmed performers include Nancy Sparling, Brian Bauche, Rhonda Morari, Jeff Cunanan, David Buttinger, Lynn Doll, Joan Goodman, Bernie Schulte, Jacquie Ackerman and Don Griffith. Join us for a relaxed evening of great entertainment!

Development and Peace is accepting donations in response to the typhoon and flooding in the Philippines. Those who wish to contribute to the relief effort can make donations by phone (1-888-234-8533), online at www.devp.org, or mailing a cheque made out to Development and Peace (please indicate Philippines Floods) to the following address: Development and Peace, 1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. W, 3rd Floor, Montreal, QC., H3G 1T7.

Youth Ministry

There are a few very exciting events in the near future that are worth marking in your calendars….

The first exciting event is known as Think Fast!  Every year the CCODP (Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace) put on a wonderful retreat weekend.  Our youth, made up of the youth from Bethlehem High School and E.D. Feehan High School and all of our other young people have been asked to join the youth from Holy Family Parish (the new Cathedral) and St. Joseph’s High School. We join together to support all of our brothers and sisters in the Global South.  The Think Fast for our city will happen in March.  Think Fast and working with others is a great opportunity to let our faith shine, Ask Fr. Steve for more information about this very exciting weekend!  Details will follow.

The next gathering for the altar servers is not far off.  Another practise and a time for fun (maybe Rucker’s again) is in the works.  Watch here for details.

Our annual Hockey Night in Pleasant Hill usually happens right about now.  Information is soon coming on that fun evening.  Keep your eyes (the eyes of faith) open.

Home Ministry of Care

This corner of the bulletin will include suggestions of ways we can feel the effects of more happiness in our lives. (Paraphrased from Sonja Lynbomirsby’s book “The How of Happiness”

Happiness Habits

3.  AVOID OVER—THINKING AND SOCIAL COMPARISON:  Comparing oneself to someone else can be poisonous.  If we’re somehow “better” than the person we’re comparing ourselves to, it gives us an unhealthy sense of superiority.  Our ego inflates.  If we think we’re “worse” than the person we’re comparing ourselves to, we usually discredit the hard work that we’ve done and dismiss all the progress we’ve made.  If we feel called to compare ourselves, let it be to an earlier version of ourselves.

 Mass Intentions

Monday, January 30  9:00 a.m  All Souls in Purgatory

Tuesday, January 31  9:00 a.m  †Antonio & †Joe Figueiredo

Wednesday,February 1  9:00 a.m  Bill & Iris Riley

7:15 p.m  †Emily Sieben

Thursday, February 2    9:00 a.m  †Therese Risling

Friday, February 3    9:00 a.m  †Germaine Richards

Saturday, February 4  9:00 a.m  †June Woytowich

7:00 p.m  †Michele Giannotta

Sunday, February 5  9:00 a.m  †Michele Giannotta

11:00 a.m  For the parish

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Bulletin Reflection

Choices To Be Made

 By Alice Camille

   What’s more important: your family or your job? In most cases and in many situations we’d choose the welfare of our families over work—although the two often go hand in hand. The reason many of us stumble in balancing the priorities of work and family is precisely this: It’s hard to secure one without the other. What, then, might compel you to choose against both family ties and livelihood? It would have to be something far greater than an ordinary opportunity to put so much of value at risk.

That is what the sons of Jonah and of Zebedee do on a particular workday in Galilee. Peter and Andrew leave their nets and James and John say good-bye to their father when Jesus invites them to join him. Something greater than business-as-usual weighs in the balance here: The reign of God and the time of its fulfillment are right now. This decision won’t keep till tomorrow. All four abandon everything that has sustained them to reach for this startling chance.

By contrast, in the story of Jonah, Nineveh gets 40 days to consider which way to go: pursue their present course of destruction, or turn and possibly be saved. Down to the last cow in that great Assyrian city the choice is made to repent and throw their nation on the mercy of God. That’s a good bet—if you believe that God’s mercy is greater than all of human sinfulness.

God’s ways are many: sometimes sudden, sometimes gradual, but all lead to joy and salvation. The trouble is, we never know the day nor the hour, so are we willing to take the chance that we still have time to weigh the odds of personal or corporate extinction? Are we going to let yet another invitation to follow Jesus slip past us? Because time does foreclose eventually. This world is passing away—for some of us sooner than we suspect.

Tomorrow we have the opportunity to make another choice: It’s the annual day of prayer and penance for life. We Catholics are asked to do what we can to acknowledge the gross violation of human dignity that legal abortions uphold. Some will pray, others do penance, some will do both. What is life worth to us? What are we willing to sacrifice to uphold its sacred character?

Reprinted with permission

Prepare the Word (©2011)

www.preparetheword.com

Bulletin Annoucements

CWL:  The next CWL meeting will be held on February 1, 2012 following the 7:15pm Mass.  Please renew your CWL memberships as soon as possible.

CWL:  A workshop entitled “One in the Spirit” facilitated by Clarie Heron, Diocesan Spiritual Advisor and Tillie Aessie, Saskatchewan Provincial President will be held at St. Patrick’s Church from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Monday January 23rd.  Lunch provided, free will offering.  Planning to attend?  Please let Marion know by January 17th—373-0309.

COME AND SEE WHAT CHRISTIAN INITIATION (RCIA) IS ALL ABOUT!  Fr. Michael Koch, Diocesan Director for Christian Initiation (RCIA) will be leading a workshop on Christian Initiation (RCIA), assisted by Darlene Cooper, for the Saskatoon City and Saskatoon Rural Deaneries. Bishop Donald Bolen will be present for the whole event. It will be at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (300-8th Avenue South) in Martensville. It will be on Saturday, January 28 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  This workshop is for ALL parishes in Saskatoon and Saskatoon Rural Deaneries, even if you don’t have RCIA at this time.  Parishes are asked to send at least two persons with less than five years of experience with the Christian Initiation process. Those with more than five years of experience are also asked to come to help in the formation and SPIRIT building. The object is to help make more parishioners aware of and knowledgeable about the Christian Initiation (RCIA) journey and what it can do to help make a parish more alive. DO COME ! For those already involved, those not involved who might be interested in being involved, for those catechists working with Baptism, Confirmation & Eucharist and for those NOT intending to be involved at all, but need to know more. The registration fee is $20.00 per person to help pay for Lunch, the KITS being handed out and coffee breaks. Some diocesan money is available for those who can’t afford the registration fee.  For more information and registration contact Fr. Michael Koch.  Preregistration is required by 5:00 pm, Monday, January 23.  Email: mjkrcia@shaw.ca , Ph: 306-373-0404, Fx: 306-374-4613.

SERENA Saskatchewan invites you to a Valentine’s Day Social on Saturday, February 11th, 2012 (6:30-9:00pm) in the Our Lady of Lourdes gym (1235-12th Street East, corner of Wiggins Ave).  The evening includes a catered banquet (roast turkey and stuffing, oven roast potato, cauliflower/broccoli/carrot, Caesar salad, Mediterranean salad, homemade buns, sour cherry chiffon, wine), entertainment by Dolce Music, guest speaker, and awards.  All are welcome!  For tickets ($20/person), contact SERENA at 934-8223, 1-800-667-1637, or sask@serena.ca by Friday, February 3rd.  Annual General Meeting 12:30-3:00pm at same location.

The staff and management of Affinity Credit Union St Mary’s Branch would like to invite you for coffee and refreshments on Friday, January 27th from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm to congratulate and bid a fond farewell to our Business Development Manager, Dave Wrubleski, as he enters retirement. Dave has worked at the St Mary’s Branch and has been an avid supporter of the community for over 38 years.  Please drop in at St Mary’s Branch of Affinity Credit Union to wish him the best.

HOST FAMILY SEARCH   Would you or a family you know be interested in hosting a female high school student from Japan. Three high school girls from Japan are arriving on April 4, 2012. They will be studying at three different Catholic High Schools in Saskatoon until March 30 2013.

Global Partners Institute is looking for potential homes. A family must consist of two or more related people living in the home at the time of hosting, have a bedroom available for the student, provide three meals a day and be ready to include a student as a member of their family.

Global Partners provides a monthly honorarium for hosting and support to the family and student. We would like to have our host families secured by mid February. To obtain additional information and or to apply please contact Jeannette Eddolls: SK Regional Manager for Global Partners at 306 – 763 – 4127 or at jeannette@gpicanada.com.

Check out our web site www.gpicanada.com

Thinking about kindergarten for this fall? Now’s the time to register your child! Catholic schools are friendly, safe, welcoming and staff are ready to help all students reach their full potential. We nurture faith, encourage excellence in learning and inspire students to reach out and help others – at home and around the world. Children who will be five years old by Jan. 31, 2013 can begin kindergarten in Fall 2012. Call your neighbourhood school to set up a visit or come out to an open house or a kindergarten information evening (all events start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated). You may also learn more at www.gscs.sk.ca We are rooted in faith, growing in knowledge, reaching out to transform the world!

Youth Ministry

Week of Prayer of Christian Unity…..

Our Roman Catholic Tradition is filled with many blessings, more blessings than any one person could count.  It is in the vast diversity of our faith that God’s manifold blessings really stand out.  I think it is awesome that on many occasions God looks towards the younger members of our community to bring those blessings home.  This Week of prayer of Christian Unity invites all of us to appreciate scriptural phrases like St. Pauls’ comment to Timothy: “Don’t let anyone disregard you because you are young….”  Not to mention the great words of the prophet Jeremiah.

When Jeremiah began preaching he did not think was able, he feared he was too young.  God gave him the words he needed and great things happened.

In the Gospel of St. John we are invited to pray about another wonderful embrace of the youth in our community.  The Gospel according to John tells the beautiful and miraculous account of the Feeding of the 5000.  John lets us all know that it was a young boy who helped in the great miracle coming to be.

Youth can be found throughout Scripture.  Scripture helps to unite all Christians.  This week helps us to remember that we are all united through Christ.  The Knights of Columbus help us to unite, the CWL helps us to unite and our youth most certainly help us to unite, we need the youth, keep all of God’s children in your prayers.

Home Ministry of Care

This corner of the bulletin will include suggestions of ways we can feel the effects of more happiness in our lives. (Paraphrased from Sonja Lynbomirsby’s book “The How of Happiness”

Happiness Habits

2.  CULTIVATE OPTIMISM:  We have the ability to manufacture our own optimism.  No matter what the situation, we can find a way to put an optimistic spin on it.  If we feel we have failed, we can look upon that failure as an opportunity to grow and to learn a new lesson from life.  Those who think optimistically see their world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times.

 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:  We need volunteers to bring communion to the homebound.  Please give this your consideration and call Iris at 244-2983 ext 234

 Mass Intentions

Monday, January 16  9:00 a.m  †Anthony Slugoski

Tuesday, January 17  9:00 a.m  †Clarie Carpentier

Wednesday, January 18  9:00 a.m  †Michele Giannotta

7:15 p.m  †Emily Sieben

Thursday, January 19    9:00 a.m  †Rocco Santoro

Friday, January 20    9:00 a.m  †Frank Boyle

Saturday, January 21  9:00 a.m  †Agostinho & Maria Bairos

7:00 p.m  †Jean Bilorosuk

Sunday, January 22  9:00 a.m  †Joe Bairos

11:00 a.m  For the parish

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