The St. Wenceslaus parish bulletin for February 7th, 2016.
Feb 7th Parish Bulletin
February 5, 20164th Week in Ordinary Time—Year II Meditations & Homily Builder
January 31, 2016Monday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Absalom, Shimei, and the demoniac harass and seek to cast out God’s servants and holy ones.
- David and Jesus both retreat to the Mount of Olives, but Jesus returns to Jerusalem to do “battle.”
- In their own ways, both David and Jesus saved Jerusalem and her people.
Petitions: Church & World Leaders, The Jewish People, Our Critics
Tuesday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Those from the synagogue official’s house lack the Cushite’s messenger’s tact.
- A son’s death turns victory to mourning, a daughter’s resurrection turns mourning into joy.
- Absalom’s pride was his loss, Jairus and the woman’s humility and faith restored them.
Petitions: Humility, Sons and Daughters, Mourners
Wednesday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- God prohibited census-taking lest it prompt leaders to arrogantly spurn him.
- Loss of food, loss of power, and loss of health parallel Satan’s three desert temptations.
- Unlike the Nazoraeans, David accepts his prophet’s unwelcome message.
Petitions: Receptivity, Relatives, The Suffering
Thursday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Be present to life in this a house we dwell until we leave, going the way of all flesh.
- Are we prepared to depart and to dust of this world from our feet?
- Whether we’re accepted or rejected, Jesus and David stress obedience to God’s will.
Petitions: Faithfulness, Presence of Mind, The Near Death
Friday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Two Kings of Israel: David the Good King, Herod the Wicked
- Both sinned from adulterously taking other men’s wives.
- David repented and was forgiven, but Herod handed over John and Jesus without apology.
Petitions: Marriages, Political Leaders, Holy Leisure
Jan 31st Parish Bulletin
January 30, 2016The St. Wenceslaus parish bulletin for January 31st, 2016.
2016: Save the Dates
January 30, 2016Feb 10 – Ash Wednesday
Mar 13 – Time Change (ahead 1 hour)
Mar 27 – Easter Sunday
Apr 3 – First Communion at SH
Apr 5 – Wisconsin Primary Election Day
Apr 9 – Marriage Prep Day at St. W
Apr 13 – Confirmation, 6:30pm at Seneca
May 1 – First Communion at St. W
Jun 30 – End of the 2015-16 Annual Appeal
Sep 4 – Picnic & Homecoming at St. W
Oct 23 – Smorgasbord at SH
Nov 1 – All Saints Day (Holy Day of Obligation)
Nov 6 – Time Change (back 1 hour)
Nov 8 – Election Day
Dec 8 – Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of Obligation)
The Precepts of the Church
January 28, 2016(Catechism of the Catholic Church #2041-2043)
The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:
The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays & holy days of obligation.”) requires the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic celebration when the Christian community gathers together on the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord.
The second precept (“You shall confess your sins at least once a year.”) ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.
The third precept (“You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.”) guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.
The fourth precept (“You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.”) completes the Sunday observance by participation in the principal liturgical feasts which honor the mysteries of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.
The fifth precept (“You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting & abstinence.”) ensures the times of ascesis [self-discipline] and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts; they help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.
The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.
Our Lord as Love
January 27, 2016“Thomas answered and said to [Jesus], ‘My Lord and my God!’”
—Gospel of John 20:28
“Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.”
—1st Letter of John 4:8
“Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have [Jesus], I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have [Jesus], I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have [Jesus], I gain nothing.
[Jesus] is patient, [Jesus] is kind. [He] is not jealous, [he] is not pompous, [he] is not inflated, [he] is not rude, [he] does not seek [his] own interests, [he] is not quick-tempered, [he] does not brood over injury, [he] does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. [He] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [Jesus] never fails.”
—1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 12:31-13:8
Remedial Kant
January 26, 2016I produced this seminary skit in 2009. It’s not only funny, it’s (a little) educational, too.
Our philosophy teacher (of Spanish origins) had never heard the Mahna Mahna song before, so it took some clever editing to get her to “just say ‘phenomena.'”
3rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II Meditations & Homily Builder
January 24, 2016Monday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Jesus and David were powerful, “for the LORD of hosts was with” them.
- Jesus began ministry about 30, lived to 33, now leads to Promised Land.
- “The blind and the lame” welcomed Jesus, and the enemy’s kingdom fell.
Petitions: Church Unity, Against Demons, Against Rash Judgment
Tuesday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- David’s procession leads to Jesus’ circle.
- The New and Old Davids provide a rich feast for their people.
- Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant because she did the will of God.
Petitions: Marian Devotion, The Hungry, Holy Joy
Wednesday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- God found “rich soil” in David, who eagerly and fruitfully received His word.
- The Lord begins his Kingdom among humble shepherds and sowers.
- We prepare and plant but there is no building or growth without the Lord.
Petitions: Missionaries, Farmers, Good Counsel
Thursday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- David served God and received all, had much and merited more. (CCC #2010)
- God enlighten us about worship (David,) work (baskets), and rest (beds.)
- Mother Mary is revealed as New Zion, Jesus’ Davidic dwelling and literal throne.
Petitions: Christian Generosity, Balance in Life, Fire Safety
Friday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- A seed out of place is gobbled easily; David was lounging, not on campaign.
- Like a planting a tiny seed, flirting with temptation yields death. (James 1:15)
- This, David’s worst episode, led him to pen Psalm 51 in repentance.
Petitions: Diligence to Duty, Modesty & Chasity, Conversion
Why?
January 22, 2016As [Jesus] passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. [Jesus cures the man’s blindness, leading to his giving glory to God and salvation in Christ.]
—The Gospel of John, chapter 9
The question of Jesus’ disciples reflects an ancient assumption: that bad things happen to people as a punishment for their sins. In perhaps the oldest Old Testament book, the friends of Job insist that his great suffering must be his fault somehow. Before throwing out the man born blind, the Pharisees tell him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” While our own personal sins can carry with them their own punishments, innocent suffering also exists. Job was innocent. Jesus Christ was sinless, and his mother Mary, too. Yet each one suffered greatly through no fault of their own.
Why does God (who is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful) allow the innocent to suffer? God certainly does not work evil, yet he clearly permits evils to occur. Why? St. Paul wrote, “We know that in everything, God works for good for those who love him.” (Romans 8:28) And St. Augustine rightly concludes, “God would never allow any evil if he could not cause good to emerge from it.” Like Jesus answered his disciples in regards to the man born blind, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.”
It is natural to question the plans of God in times of tragedy. But we Christians have reassurance even in the face of suffering and death. At the heart of our faith is the too-all-eyes senseless death of Jesus Christ, murdered on a cross. Yet from this evil God raised up great good for his Son, for us, and for the whole world. Like Christ’s first disciples, we do not always readily know the why’s and purposes of God, but in all things we have hope.
Jan 24th Parish Bulletin
January 22, 2016The St. Wenceslaus parish bulletin for January 24th, 2016.
2nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II Meditations & Homily Builder
January 17, 2016Monday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Settling amidst Amalekites would be as patching or pouring new into old.
- “Obedience” and being “upright” are “better than sacrifice.”
- There are times to feast and times to fast in God’s will for us.
Petitions: Faithfulness Amid Temptation, Those Who Hunger, New Marriages
Tuesday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- King Saul & the Pharisees would wrongly condemn God’s true servants.
- Others see the appearance, but Jesus looks into our hearts.
- Jesus is the “Anointed One” (or, in Greek, the Christ) far greater than David.
Petitions: Priestly Vocations, Large Families, Against Prejudices
Wednesday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Both Jesus and the ancient killer beckon, “Come here…”
- Goliath’s might brought infamy, while the withered man’s weakness gave glory.
- Jesus’ wielded the Torah written on smooth stones against his foes.
Petitions: Apologists, Soldiers, The Disabled
Thursday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- Jesus, our God, is our faithful friend, like Jonathan to David.
- The crowds’ adulation endanger the old and new David’s.
- While each deliverers, David slew whereas Jesus healed.
Petitions: Humility, Famous People, Friendship
Friday, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
- High office alone does not make one great in the Kingdom of God.
- Saul coveted his anointing, but Jesus shares it with the Apostles.
- Jesus’ twelve Apostles accomplished more than Saul’s 3,000 soldiers.
Petitions: Underground Churches, Bishop & Priests, Mercy
1st Week in Ordinary Time—Year II Meditations & Homily Builder
January 10, 2016These reflections draw connections between the Catholic lectionary’s weekday Mass readings.
They may be used for private prayer, but their main purpose is to help priest celebrants thematically relate their readings, preaching, and petitions at Mass.
Meditations for each week of Ordinary Time will be published here on Sunday mornings (through at least the 9th week of Ordinary Time.)
Monday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
Readings: 1st Samuel 1:1-8, Psalm 116, Mark 1:14-20
- The Lord gave Hannah & the Apostles double portions of suffering & glory because he loved them.
- Though we may lack like Hannah, we can always “offer a sacrifice of praise.”
- Despite their differing backgrounds, Eli & Zebedee both had two sons called to priesthood.
Petitions: Vocations, Families, Couples Desiring Children
Tuesday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
Readings: 1st Samuel 1:9-20, 1st Samuel 2, Mark 1:21-28
- Eli misjudges Hannah and the demon misjudges Jesus.
- Eli & Pentecost’s scoffers derided Hannah & the Apostles as drunk. (Acts 2:13)
- Eli’s word gave Hannah peace, Jesus’ word gave the possessed man freedom.
Petitions: Priests, The Addicted, Discernment
Wednesday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
Readings: 1st Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20; Psalm 40, Mark 1:29-39
- Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening,” and the psalmist, “Behold I come.”
- Samuel & (even) Jesus were called to make time for prayer.
- Like Samuel & the Galileans, “everyone is looking for [the Lord],” whether they realize or not.
Petitions: Prayer Life, Spiritual Seekers, The Sick or Afflicted
Thursday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
Readings: 1st Samuel 4:1-11, Psalm 44, Mark 1:40-45
- The Pharisees & the Leper praise the Lord without obeying him.
- The Pharisees & the Leper frustrated the good, but the Lord prevailed in the end.
- Psalm 44 is a prayer inspired by God for setbacks in battle, ministry, & life.
Petitions: Holy Obedience, Armed Forces, The Discouraged
Friday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time—Year II
Readings: 1st Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a; Psalm 89, Mark 2:1-12
- The Davidic kings subjugated, the King of Kings sets free.
- Saul & David’s procession bearers are forgotten, the paralytic’s are remembered.
- The OT elders & NT scribes grumbled, denying the Lord’s power & authority.
Petitions: Spiritual Friendship, Political Rulers, The Poor & Weak
Jan 10th & 17th Parish Bulletins
January 7, 2016The St. Wenceslaus parish bulletins:
The Names of Our Parishes
January 6, 2016When a child is presented for baptism, the parents are asked: “What name do you give [or have you given] your child?” The Diocese of La Crosse is comprised of 162 parishes across nineteen Wisconsin counties and is home to more than 200,000 Catholics. These are the top ten names attached to parishes in the Diocese of La Crosse:
Holy Rosary – 3 Parishes
St. James, St. Anthony, Holy Family – 4 Parishes
St. Peter, St. Paul – 5 Parishes
St. John the Baptist, St. Patrick – 7 Parishes
Sacred Heart (of Jesus) – 13 Parishes
St. Joseph – 14 Parishes
St. Mary [with her various tiles] – 30 Parishes
Names are important; choose holy ones.
Jan 1st/3rd Parish Bulletin
January 1, 2016The St. Wenceslaus parish bulletin for January 1st & 3rd, 2016.
Parishable Items 