PARISH MISSION STATEMENT We the people of St. Raphael Roman Catholic Church bring together diverse giſts and backgrounds to form a growing vibrant community centered in the Eucharist, the source and sign of our unity. In pilgrimage to the Kingdom of God, our mission is to demonstrate God's presence and love through: worshipping together, spreading the Good News, serving others, and enjoying Christ-Centered acvies. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are commied to sharing our me, our talents, and our treasures to fulfill God's will for our parish. AUGUST 9, 2020 NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Reflections on today's Gospel MATTHEW 14:22-33 (1 Kings 19:9a,11-13a; Psalms 85; Romans 9:1-5) KEY VERSE: "Take courage, it is I" (v. 27). TO KNOW: Aſter Jesus revealed himself as the one who nourished his people with the miraculous mulplica- on of loaves (Mt 14:13-20), he demonstrated that he was victorious over the destrucve powers of evil. Jesus had sent his disciples in a boat ahead of him while he went up a hill to pray. When it grew late, a turbulent storm arose on the lake. Jesus saw his disci- ples struggling against the winds and the waves, mak- ing lile progress. As the night wore on, Jesus came toward his terrified disciples, walking on the sea, evoking the victory that enabled Israel to cross the sea into the Promised Land (Ps 77:20). Jesus told his disci- ples to take courage; he was with them ("Emmanuel"). Peter, the leader of the struggling community, tried to come to the Lord, but he was overwhelmed by fear. At Jesus' command, Peter stepped out in faith, but when he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink beneath the waves and cried out, "Lord, save me!" (v. 30b). Grasping Peter by the hand Jesus asked, "Why did you doubt?" (v. 31b). Those who lacked faith now declared Jesus to be the "Son of God" (v. 33b). In walking on the water, Jesus shows that his power and authority are greater than anything that threatens to destroy us with doubt and fear. TO LOVE: What is it that "drowns" me in fear, discourage- ment or sadness today? TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to keep my eyes on you in all the storms of life. 1386 S. West End St., Springdale, Arkansas 72764 Tel 479-756-6711 Fax 479-756-8818 www.straphaelcc.org email: [email protected]Facebook @StRaphaelNWA Church Office Hours: Monday—Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm, Closed Friday
Transcript
PARISH MISSION STATEMENT We the people of St. Raphael Roman Catholic Church bring together diverse gifts and backgrounds to form a growing vibrant community centered in the Eucharist, the source and sign of our unity. In pilgrimage to the Kingdom of God,
our mission is to demonstrate God's presence and love through: worshipping together, spreading the Good News, serving others, and enjoying Christ-Centered activities. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are committed to sharing our time,
our talents, and our treasures to fulfill God's will for our parish.
AUGUST 9, 2020 NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Reflections on today's Gospel
MATTHEW 14:22-33 (1 Kings 19:9a,11-13a; Psalms 85; Romans 9:1-5)
KEY VERSE: "Take courage, it is I" (v. 27).
TO KNOW: After Jesus revealed himself as the one who nourished his people with the miraculous multiplica-tion of loaves (Mt 14:13-20), he demonstrated that he was victorious over the destructive powers of evil. Jesus had sent his disciples in a boat ahead of him while he went up a hill to pray. When it grew late, a turbulent storm arose on the lake. Jesus saw his disci-ples struggling against the winds and the waves, mak-ing little progress. As the night wore on, Jesus came toward his terrified disciples, walking on the sea, evoking the victory that enabled Israel to cross the sea into the Promised Land (Ps 77:20). Jesus told his disci-ples to take courage; he was with them ("Emmanuel"). Peter, the leader of the struggling community, tried to come to the Lord, but he was overwhelmed by fear. At Jesus' command, Peter stepped out in faith, but when he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink beneath the waves and cried out, "Lord, save me!" (v. 30b). Grasping Peter by the hand Jesus asked, "Why did you doubt?" (v. 31b). Those who lacked faith now declared Jesus to be the "Son of God" (v. 33b). In walking on the water, Jesus shows that his power and authority are greater than anything that threatens to destroy us with doubt and fear.
TO LOVE: What is it that "drowns" me in fear, discourage-ment or sadness today?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to keep my eyes on you in all the storms of life.
1386 S. West End St., Springdale, Arkansas 72764 Tel 479-756-6711 Fax 479-756-8818 www.straphaelcc.org email: [email protected] Facebook @StRaphaelNWA
Church Office Hours: Monday—Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm, Closed Friday
We are so glad you joined us! If you are new to our parish, we would like to invite you to become a member.
The Welcome Booth in the vestibule is open the first full weekend of every month or come by the Parish Office.
Visit our website for a registration form or more information.
Due to generous response from our parishioners, it looks like we will make it through August with our
much-appreciated meat donations! For any of you wanting to fill the next need,
there is an ongoing deficit in our “household need” category: laundry and dishwashing detergent, bar and liquid soap, hand sanitizer,
masks, disinfectant spray and towelettes, any and all toiletry items.
The most requested & least donated items are: deodorant (clinical strength), diabetic needs such as diabetic socks, lotions & healing creams and diapers. We also seldom receive produce and diary products.
I hope this offers ideas to the many kind hearts we have here at St Raphael. Thank you so very much for your support to those families struggling
through this challenging time. For appointment please call 479-756-6711.
FOOD PANTRY
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Philippians 4:6
—Msgr. Scott Friend—Sherry Pianalto—Mary England—Gabe Peters—Andrew Lampe —Sean Wendland—George & Shirlene Gonzalez—Andrea Perez—Millie Connell —Dean Cannon—Tracy Brugger—Barbara Hancock—Kevin M Cunningham—Herman Seiter —Carol Ann Schlinger—Jack Ledbetter—Sherry Ledbetter—Sondra Horn—Jim Swearingin —Guillermina Avina—Lynda Duncan—Jack Slinger—Carolann Slinger—Brett Keene —Loraine Monroe—Edward Allred—Maria L. Lopez—Dr. Vladimir Laroche—Scott Yankowy —Jean Bryant—Shirley Witt — Kathy Kretschmer
For the repose of the soul of Marlene Narvaez
Pray for our Troops, especially: —Samuel Atkinson, PV2—Arturo Rodriguez, CPL—Sgt. Jeff Mader—Sgt. Jon Mader —Lcpl Jarod Mader—Spec. Michael Gray—PVT. Captain Nathan Brown—David G. Hill, W5 —PFC Christopher Sharp—Michael G. Jaro, Pvt.—Jerod Dalke, PVT—Sgt, Malachi Bucao —Brandon Hayes, Spc—Jeremy Riedel, PVT.—Cpl Christopher Main—Lt. Greg Abide —Spc Medic, Fredrick Tober—Mark Pittman, PFC.—1LT Kyle Rudolph —PO3 Chris Rudolph —Aaron Wolfe, A1C—Bryan Phillips, PO 1C.—Lt. Richard Carter—Sgt. James Lee —Capt. Benjamin Gonzalez—Jorge Gonzalez, PVT.—Andrew Swalley, PFC.—Josh Hall, A1C —Cadet Isaac Antony—Midshipman Megan LaMendola—Sgt. Ellen Cox—Julia M. Puma, AMN —Cadet Corin Mellone—PVT. Jonathan Crawford
Please pray for all Seminarians & Diaconate Candidates of the Diocese of Little Rock, especially our Seminarian: Jaime Nieto
& our Diaconate Candidates: Eduardo Andrade, Oscar Lopez, Rob Phillips, Luis Sanchez
The Pope's Monthly Intention for August Universal Prayer Intention ‐ The Maritime World
We pray for all those who work and live from the sea,
among them sailors, fishermen and their families.
Monday, August 10
First Reading: Second Corinthians 9:6-10 Psalms 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9
I am still out of the parish until late on Tuesday, August 11th
After finishing my time with my mom, I will attend the Chrism Mass in Little Rock on the 10th (postponed from April 5th) and then the Diaconate ordination of Alex Smith in Jacksonville on the 11th. Watch Alex’s Ordination live: http://bit.ly/dordination-smith
Fr Ramos, Fr Jon and I will also attend the priestly ordination of two new diocesan priests on Saturday, August 15th in Little Rock. I will be back in the office on Monday, August 17th. It is also my hope that we can resume a limited daily Mass schedule by then as well.
Confessions are cancelled Saturday, August 15th since we priests will be returning from the Ordinations.
Next week, we will take up the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Today, over 40 % of dioceses in the United States are considered mission territories because they are unable to fund the essential pastoral work their communities need. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this appeal. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/home-missions. Chapel Reminders
Face masks are required while you are in the Chapel
A maximum of 3 adorers at one time
No children under 10
Sit in the specially marked pews
Do not give out the door code
Contact Suzanne Chipollini for the code and available time slot #879-0762 or [email protected]
Attention all 6th—8th Grade students
It is time to connect with each other!
Needless to say it has been a long several months, but we are looking forward to a new year of JrSRYG
and we are doing our best to make sure it can happen safely.
Parents and students, please email me your email addresses and cell phone numbers,
so that I may update my lists to include you.
We are planning a successful year and would love for you to be a part of it.
Good luck as you get ready for school and please be safe!
if you are interested in helping count those who enter church for Mass
to ensure the health and safety of all our parishioners.
RCIA If you or someone you know is interested in the Catholic Faith
and wants to learn more about the Church, our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation) classes will begin this fall.
In the Covid-19 world which we live, we need to look at how many people are signing up before deciding a start date, location, and frequency of the class. For these reasons, call the office at 479.756.6711
if you are interested in the class and we will stay in touch about the nature of classes in 2020-2021.
Hearts Made for Love and Conversion—Some thoughts from Fr. Jon Miskin In 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published the pastoral letter “Open Wide Our Hearts, the Enduring Call to Love” addressing the issue of racism in our nation. With the growing hostility rising in this nation with regards to social and racial tensions, it seems a perfect time to review this important document from our bishops, and in doing so, examine our own hearts concerning these issues.
Forgive the long quote from the letter, but I found this section particularly worthy of our consideration and reflection today:
“Most people would not consider themselves to be a racist. A person might admit to being prejudiced but certainly not racist. As Christians, we know it is our duty to love others. St. Paul reminds us that we live by the Spirit, and the ‘fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal 5:22-23). We must be honest with our-selves. Each of us should examine our conscience and ask if these fruits are really present in our attitudes about race. Or, rather, do our attitudes reflect mistrust, impatience, anger, distress, discomfort or rancor?” (“Open Wide Our Hearts”, 17).
When I see that post on Facebook or Instagram, when I hear those words spoken, “Black Lives Matter”, what arises in my heart? Does the gift of love arise? Patience? Gentleness or self-control? Or does mistrust? Distress or discomfort? Does anger arise in my heart? Sit in reflection with this question. Discern the movements of your heart. Am I being guided by the Spirit? Or am I be-ing guided by my own sense of discomfort and anger?
I see so much anger in our hearts as we struggle with these difficult and uncomfortable conversations. We must be willing to discern from where our anger arises. Anger is a defensive emotion. It bursts forth from us to protect us from what we perceive as a threat. By stewing in our anger, we affectively close ourselves off from the other so that we don’t have to be uncomfortable, so that we do not have to grapple with the tension. Anger gives us an excuse not to listen and the justification not to change. Whether you agree with the Black Lives Matter Movement or not, the question is the same. What is arising in your heart? As long as we speak and act out of anger, there will be no justice because there is no openness to conversion. Conversion requires a humble heart, a willingness to recognize my own shortcomings and misunderstandings. Conversion is the fruit of the Spirit.
Each and every one of us, as disciples of Christ, are constantly in need of conversion. As the letter from our bishops point out, “Each of us should adopt the words of Pope Francis as our own: let no one ‘think that this invitation is not meant for him or her.’ (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 3). All of us are in need of personal, ongoing conversion. If racism is confronted by addressing its causes and the injustice it produces, then healing can occur.” (“Open Wide Our Hearts”, 7). If we truly want unity, if we truly want justice and equality, we must be willing to open our hearts to the healing touch of conversion. As anyone who has done physical therapy after a surgery can attest, the work of healing is painful. It requires a willingness push through the discomfort and pain.
It is easy to be angry. It is easy to hear “black lives matter” and lash out in rebuttal. But we are not talking about a phrase. We are not even talking about an organization. We are talking about human beings, our black brothers and sisters that have lived through and still experience racism and injustice in our own communities. Today, let us examine our own hearts.
Lord rid me of my anger. Rid me of impatience, mistrust, and distress. Let me not close myself from the movements of your Spirit. Open wide my heart so that I may be an agent of love and peace in this world. Give me your spirit of patience and gentleness so that I may truly hear the cry of the poor and the downtrodden. Oh Lord, you hear the cry of the poor, blessed is your name. Give me your ears to hear. Give me your heart to love. Send down your Spirit that my heart will be renewed, that we may renew the face of the earth.
Here is a link for the complete “Open Wide Our Hearts” from our bishops
OZARK CATHOLIC ACADEMY is accepting applications for grades 9-12
Apply online at ozarkcatholic.org or call us at 479-316-3445.
Follow us @ozarkcatholic! #onlyoca
Drivers Needed for OCA Ozark Catholic Academy High School in Tontitown
is looking for part-time drivers for the school vans & bus Bus driver would need a CDL license.
If you are interested in the different routes and times available and would like more information,
please contact Brendan Wiley at 479-692-1671 or email him at [email protected]
APOSTOLATE FOR PERPETUAL ADORATION Contact Suzanne Chipollini to sign up #879-0762 or [email protected]
Hour is full
Time / Hourly Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
9 AM to 10 AM CLOSED CLOSED
10 AM to 11 AM CLOSED CLOSED
11 AM to Noon CLOSED CLOSED
Noon to 1 PM CLOSED CLOSED
1 PM to 2 PM CLOSED CLOSED
2 PM to 3 PM CLOSED CLOSED
3 PM to 4 PM CLOSED CLOSED
4 PM to 5 PM CLOSED CLOSED
1 or 2 Adorers
Adorers Needed
New face masks are in!
Express your faith while wearing one of these stylish fabric masks. Spread the Word and be safe at the same time.
Are you looking for a good book to read this summer? Want to find a Daily Devotional to start your day?
Do you know someone receiving Confirmation or 1st Communion?
Be sure to stop by the shop to check out all the great books and gift ideas.
There is something for everyone here!!
Are you feeling overwhelmed, lonely or lost during this COVID time?
Do you just need someone to talk to?
If so, you can call or email me, Cathy Crouch, [email protected], 479-409-4634.
You can call if you just want to talk, and/or if you are thinking you’d like to join a prayer group
following the Spiritual Steps of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
We are forming a group via Zoom for this October.
Those who joined us this past year say they are grateful for feeling renewed and for having help with their prayer life
through the scriptures with the Retreat in Daily Life, which deepened their spiritual lives.
During the course of 30 weeks-from Oct. –April, retreatants live their commitment to God, to themselves & to their fellow participants by following the steps of this prayer journey. Each retreatant commits to these 3 experiences:
Daily private prayer, which incudes Scripture, reflection and journaling.
Weekly small group meetings in which participants share their prayer experiences with each other.
Building $3,511.00 $3,511.00 $28,000.00 $(24,489.00)
STEWARDSHIP
Thank you for your generosity to the parish!
Visit our website
www.straphaelcc.org
to sign up
Financial Report-June 2020
OUR PARISH STILL NEEDS YOUR HELP: Our only means of support is your generosity.
While we are not able to all come together each week for Mass, we ask that you still try to maintain your weekly donation to the church. We know that we are living through some difficult times, but we do appreciate your generosity.
If you aren't attending Mass, you can still place your weekly donation in the brass mail slot just outside the front entrance at circle drive. There will be a sign with an arrow to help show you the location. Other great options are to sign up for online giving or mail your donations. Our staff checks for dropped off donations daily.
Building a Home for the Body of Christ
Total Loan - Building Addition $2,723,329
Principal Payments (2,451,167)
Loan Balance June 30, 2020 $272,162
Financial Summary Report July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020
Actual Budget Over
(Under) Support Revenues $788,993 $897,900 ($108,907)
Other Revenues $95,016 $137,990 ($42,974)
Support Expense $(1,066,004) $(1,079,704) $13,700
Net Support $(181,995) $(43,814) $(138,181)
Operating Loan at June 30, 2020 $100,000
Payroll Protection Program Loan/Grant at June 30, 2020 $128,887
Upcoming Second Collections
August 15th & 16th — Catholic Homes Missions Appeal
