THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

In the last few weeks of our Sunday gospel reading, Jesus has been packing his bag for Jerusalem.  And as he’s packing, he seems to tell his disciples who they must be:  childlike in their obedience, attentive to the poor, humble, faith-filled, serving the community and ready to give of oneself entirely.  But he’s actually describing himself and letting his disciples know who it is that goes to Jerusalem to suffer and die.  Because if they don’t understand who he is, they’ll never understand why Jerusalem.

 

The Middlers saw a poster board filled with the sayings of Jesus from the last few weeks.  As we peeled them off, we revealed this painting of Jesus, which is an optical illusion.  It’s actually a montage of faces—some famous and many not—that together form the face of Jesus.  The illusion of the painting is the illusion of our collection of sayings.  Yes, Jesus tells us how we must be, and by the same words tells us who he is, and in the same words tells us who we are. 

Songs for the Elementaries

In our gatherings after the elementary sessions, we learned some very simple and singable songs.  These will be introduced at our grade level Masses.  Chuck Muckle, our music minister, was very generous with his time all this week in leading the kids.  And the kids were gre 

Third & Fourth Grade Mass

On Sunday, November 4^th, Third and Fourth Grades will celebrate Sunday Mass together at 10am.  A reception will follow.  The Third and Fourth Grade teachers will be in touch with parents about bringing sweets to share at the reception.

NO KIDSRELIG FOR GRAFFLIN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, HALLOWEEN

There is no KidsRelig next Wednesday, October 31.  Enjoy trick or treating!!!

BUT HERE’S THE DEAL

The next day, November 1^st, is All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation.  We will have a 4 PM Mass in the Upper Church.  So, I told the Wednesday kids, who have off for Halloween, that they had to ask their parents to do their very best to get them here for that 4 PM Mass on November 1^st.

 

Love,

Deacon Charlie

TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 The Ransom of Red Chief--an O. Henry story about a ransom gone wrong.  I told the Middlers this hilarious tale about 2 schemers, who planned a fast buck with a quick turn-around for the kidnap and ransom  of the bank president’s 9 year old.  Only one problem—the kid was a terror!  A demand for a $1500 ransom got this response:  “[I]n regard to the ransom you ask for the return of my son. I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counter-proposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands.”  It was an offer they couldn’t resist!  Johnny was delivered home along with $250, and the two skipped town after happily paying their own ransom.

For the Elementaries, it was Charlotte’s Web—the story of a spider, who ransomed her life for a pig named Wilbur.  Why? Because “[y]ou have been my friend,” said Charlotte, and “[b]y helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle.”

And today’s gospel tells us that the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many.  It’s not just living good lives; that makes us good.  It’s giving good lives; that makes others good.  Living good lives costs us nothing:  giving good lives costs us everything.  A ransom for others!

A New Typical Day at KidsRelig

Our new, typical day with the gospel reflection at the end seems to be working.  Elementaries arrive for class while Middlers are still in church.  The transition seems smooth. 

For the Elementaries, I noticed this week that parents huddled by the doors of the church to listen in on us.  Please, feel free to come in and sit in the back pews.  I really think the kids would be happy to see you there.  I know I would.

Good News about the Bus—So Far!

We are so grateful to our Bus Volunteer Committee: Keira Treanor, Clare Salamida and Chris Madden, with special help from veteran Meg Wickizer.  The first weeks have been incredibly successful.  On time and all accounted for!  And all the reports are that bus behavior has seen a real improvement.  (This has been tremendously helped by Keira and Chris riding the buses from Roaring Brook and Grafflin—a sacrifice much appreciated.) Please encourage all the kids to keep up the good work. 

Third & Fourth Grade Mass

On Sunday, November 4^th, Third and Fourth Grades will celebrate Sunday Mass together at 10am.  A reception will follow.  The Third and Fourth Grade teachers will be in touch with parents about bringing sweets to share at the reception.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

The word “Follow” was written large in front of the altar.  With words written smaller on six pie plates, we tried to figure out the different meanings of “Follow”:  Next (one after another); Map (on track); Rules (obey); Plan (go by, go along with); Lessons (catch on and learn from others); Way (pursue a certain path).  With all these different meanings in front of us, we turned over our pie plates to spell the words: C-O-P-Y—M-E.  When Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, “Come, follow me,” he’s asking us to be like him or COPY ME.  And the kids said that means to sacrifice for others, help others, teach others and even heal others.  And I told them I had proof they had already started to do that.

This Tuesday, I received in the mail a letter and package of pictures from Sr. Mary Alice Hanon, OP, of Desda’s Grate, a home in New Rochelle for homeless mothers and their children.  Sr. Mary Alice was thanking the kids of KidsRelig for their gift of $600, which they had raised at our Annual FunRaiser last spring.  (We had given another $600 to The Catalyst Foundation in Vietnam.)  The pictures showed the “Before” of a barren backyard at Desda’s and the “After” of a newly built playground with smiling faces.  Sr. Mary Alice told our kids that their gift came just in the nick of time, as she was trying to figure out how to get a little extra help to make a little, extra, summertime fun for Desda’s kids. 

“Copy me,” smiled Jesus.  (If you want to smile with Jesus, check out the poster of pictures and the letter from Sr. Mary Alice in the front hall of the Upper Church.)

A New Typical Day at KidsRelig

We have always spent ten minutes every session reflecting on the gospel for the following Sunday.  No change there.  But now, our ten minute reflection comes at the end of each session.  This allows both Middlers and Elementaries to spend time in class first and to be reminded before going to church that church is a special place that deserves special handling.  We hope to keep reinforcing that message in different ways and would ask that you talk about it as well. 

For the Parents of Elementaries, our new schedule also gives you a chance to come into church right before the dismissal and eavesdrop on our gospel reflection.  So, when you come to pick up your kids, come on into church and sit in the back pews and share with us the gospel for the upcoming Sunday.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Jesus must have known, because he ordered up a perfect gospel for this week and for this deacon. 

 The gospel weaves into one sayings of Jesus about marriage and children:

“ . . . and the two shall become one flesh.”

 

“Let the children come to me . . .

 

Although in reverse order, it is an exact description of my week, which began with welcoming our kids to a new year at KidsRelig, and will end by celebrating our son Patrick’s marriage to Lauren Slubowski in Evanaston, Illinois.  The coming together of these two events puts it all together for me.  When life becomes as real and as now as the laughter of children and the vows of two lovers, it’s real enough to touch and now enough to last forever. 

Today’s gospel is both an invitation and a challenge to the real and the now.  If we are totally in the moment to the other who shares every moment of our lives, then to be real that moment must be forever.  It’s what we marrieds expect and what our kids need. 

Altar Server Sign-in and Sign-Up

Friday, October 12^th, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, our Third and Fourth Graders, who would like to volunteer to be altar servers, and our veteran altar servers (and anyone else in grades 5 and up) are invited to a Pizza Party in Skelly Hall.  We’ll talk about altar server training and take a few measurements for altar server robes, and, of course, eat a little pizza. 

 

If you are thinking of coming, please send me an email and let me know.  If you want to be an altar server, but can’t make the Pizza Party, send me an email too. 

Love,

Deacon Charlie

 

TWENTY SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today’s gospel is like a scary house filled with frightening images—millstones around the neck and thrown into the sea, limbs cut off, eyes plucked out and devouring worms and fires.  St. Mark seems to be ahead of the curve when it comes to negative, ad campaigns. 

Not really!  That sentence in the middle of it all reveals his real purpose, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin . . . “  Mark wants to wake us up from our sleepwalking so we don’t trip over all the precious gifts around us.  With all his scary talk, he wants to frighten us into taking nothing for granted.  We’ve got to watch what we say and do, so that we don’t miss any opportunity to see our precious gifts and stamp them for the special handling they deserve. 

In our parish, our precious gifts are stamped:   KidsRelig

KidsRelig starts this week

·          

      Tuesday October 2^nd Bell (2:45 p); Westorchard (3:45 p)

·         Wednesday October 3^rd Grafflin (3:45 p)

·         Thursday October 4^th Seven Bridges (2:45 p); Roaring Brook (3:45 p)

Bus Registration

All the bus information, including registration form and calendar, is on the Religious Education Page of the Parish Website (www.sjsmrcc.com) .  Look for the link in the column on the right of the Religious Education Page.

KidsRelig Full-Year Calendar

A link to the full-year KidsRelig Calendar has been permanently posted on the Religious Education Page of the Parish Website (www.sjsmrcc.com). 

IMPORTANT CALENDAR CHANGE:  The date for First Communion has changed.  The new date is Saturday, May 11^th.  The KidsRelig Calendar already reflects that change.

Love,

Deacon Charlie