Saint Joseph ROMAN CATHOLIC Church 973-383-1985 fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time - july 5, 2020 Schedule of Masses Weekdays: Monday-Friday at 12:05pm Weekends: Saturday (Sunday Vigil) at 5:00pm Sunday at 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:30am Confession Saturday at 4:00-4:30pm (or by appointment) Cardinal Tobin, the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Newark, hands the new Bishop his crosier, a sign and symbol of his pastoral care, as he leads the faithful of the Diocese of Paterson.
Transcript
Saint Joseph ROMAN CATHOLIC Church
973-383-1985
fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time - july 5, 2020
Schedule of Masses Weekdays: Monday-Friday at 12:05pm
Weekends: Saturday (Sunday Vigil) at 5:00pm Sunday at 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:30am
Confession
Saturday at 4:00-4:30pm (or by appointment)
Cardinal Tobin, the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Newark, hands the new Bishop his crosier,
a sign and symbol of his pastoral care, as he leads the faithful of the Diocese of Paterson.
Robert Lasser, Finance Administrator [email protected] - 973-383-1985
TRUSTEES OF THE PARISH Dorothy Bosi, George Hayek
and Gerard Woodring
fourteenth Sunday in ordinary time – july 5, 2020
The Sanctuary Lamp, which burns near the Tabernacle as a reminder of our Lord’s presence in the Most Holy Eucharist, burns this week in loving memory of:
And the hosts and wine, which will become the
Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Lord, were given
in loving memory of:
Weekly Remembrance
May they now be resting in the peace of the Lord’s heavenly kingdom!
We pray for all those who are in need of the Lord’s healing presence:
Gary Arvary, Ron Ayers, Gene Belcher, Fred Bender, Mary Benziger, Egon Berninger,
John Ciccone, Louise Crann, Father Angelus Croce, James Cunningham, Alex DeMartino, Derya Demirtas,
Jennifer DiNardo, Mary Ann Dowling, Jennifer Downing, Russell English, John Fedash, Kathie Fetchko, Chris Flora,
Theresa Fusco, Monsignor Mark Giordani, John Greed, Joy Grenewicz, Suzanne Hammond, Finnuala Hanifan, Jessica & Hannah Joseph, Ann Inglima, Susan Kadar,
Father Daniel Kelly, Jessica Kirby, Darby Knox, Valerie Landell, Shirley Lavin, Elaine LeFever, Roberto Leyva,
Beth Malkin, Sal Mauceli, Deirdre Metzger, Sharon Miller, Jake Michael Miraldi, Mike Palumbo, Cheryl Piritz,
Joyce & Mike Polster, Michael Porfido, James Proulx, Joan Riccardi, John Rokicki, Donna Rozsas, Alexia Russ,
Father Jude Salus, George Scarpa, Ben Sellitto, Coleen Shields, Crystal Siro, Francis Siro, Terri Skill, Ernest Sprague, Gloria Steets, Kristen & Sofia Steets,
Evelyn Strauss, Joni Strauss, Delia Sutton, Edna & Paul Swenson and Rita Zimich.
Saturday 7/4 5:00pm Charles Lundgren
Sunday July 5th
Fourteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time
8:00am
9:30am
11:30am
Antoinette Prohaska Father Bertil Anderson Father Michael J. Burke Doctor Michael T. Burgio Richard Rodimer Francis & Stella Covel Theresa Suchar
Monday 7/6 12:05pm Anthony J. Centracchio, Sr.
Tuesday 7/7 12:05pm Father Bertil Anderson
Wednesday 7/8 12:05pm Teresa Nocerino Anne Savacool
Thursday 7/9 12:05pm Mae Burke
Friday 7/10 12:05pm Elizabeth Haag
Saturday 7/11 5:00pm The Guastella Family Edgar Leveiro
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
Salvation of souls
Welcome Back!
We thank everyone who dropped off groceries this past week in church after Mass and at our food pantry. For the safety of our volunteers and clients, we will continue to have our clients complete a shopping list of their needs and desires. A shopping bag will be filled by the volunteers and given to the clients. Now that we are open, the following items are most needed. Thank you so much for your support for our Saint Mother Teresa food pantry. Ketchup Toilet paper Mayonnaise Paper towels Canned chicken Laundry detergent Canned tuna Dish soap Hamburger Helper (all kinds) Shampoo Chef Boyardee (all kinds) Conditioner Pancake syrup Body wash Baked beans Deodorant (men/women) Cookies Toothpaste Fruit snacks Men’s shampoo Knorr’s pasta sides (all kinds) Cat food Knorr’s rice sides (all kinds) Dog food Spam Snack-size applesauce and puddings Canned white potatoes Flavored oatmeal
New Office hours
The Parish Center Offices are open Monday-Friday from 9:00am-12:00pm. We can be reached at: 973-383-1985
With the permission of the former bishop, Father ST will be celebrating the
Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, August 8, 2020.
Father has sent an email to all the parents of our Confirmation students with all the
necessary information regarding Mass and rehearsal times for Confirmation.
Our printable Registration Packet for the 2020-21 Faith Formation school year is now on our website
www.stjosephnewton.org Your completed Registration Packet may be
dropped off at the Parish Center Office M-F 9:00am-12:00Noon or at church
(in the collection basket) when you attend Mass.
In order to properly prepare for the upcoming Faith Formation year, we ask if you would please
return your Registration Packet no later than July 26th.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and
patience during these difficult times in our lives and the life of our Church.
Thrift shop sale
4th of July prayer
First holy communion
The Father Michael J. Burke Thrift Shop is OPEN
Shop hours are: Thursday and Friday 10:00am-4:00pm
Saturday 9:30am-12:30pm
There will be a Welcome Back Sale and a Christmas in July sale!
Stop by to see a variety of goods at half price.
All Customers MUST wear a mask.
Kindergarten Formation
We are putting together a new Faith Formation Program for the “little ones!”
This year, we will be having our first Kindergarten Faith Formation, which will meet on Mondays from 4:05-5:20pm. We will be using Loyola Press’ “Finding God; our Response to God’s Gifts” Program which is not just book work, but many activities and a snack. Come and share with your children the message of how much God loves them and how to have a real relationship with Him for many years to come. If you are interested in this new program, please call
Mrs. Christine Shell at: 973.383.8413 or email her at: [email protected].
Looking forward to adding the “little ones” to our
Faith Formation Program here in Newton.
There will be a mandatory refresher class held by Sister Ramona on Wednesday, July 15th starting at 4:00pm in the school library. Out of respect for Sister, please arrive by 3:45pm. This class is required in order to proceed with preparations for your children to receive their First Holy Communion. Looking forward to seeing you on time and on July 15th.
Over the past few weeks, the bulletin articles have been a bit “heavy” and one could even make a case for them being “too negative.” Therefore, this week, I wanted to share some very positive and uplifting news for our parish and our diocese.
On April 15, 2020, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Serratelli from the pastoral governance of the diocese. On that same day, His Holiness (through his Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Christophe Pierre) named Father Kevin Sweeney, a priest from the Diocese of Brooklyn to succeed Bishop Serratelli, becoming the eighth bishop of the diocese.
Bishop Sweeney is a native of Queens, New York; he was born on January 10, 1970 to the late James and Agnes (nee Blewitt) Sweeney. He has a sister, Marie Shanahan and a brother, Brendan, and five nieces and nephews. Bishop-elect Sweeney grew up in Saint Luke parish in Whitestone.
He attended Cathedral Prep from 1984-1988 and was an outstanding baseball player for the high school seminary team, excelling as an infielder, outfielder and pitcher. While his dream of playing professional baseball never panned out, he was inducted into Prep’s Hall of Fame in 2013.After high school graduation, Bishop Sweeney entered Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston and studied at Saint John’s University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy in 1992. He then entered the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington and received a Master of Divinity in Theology. During his time at the Seminary in Huntington, Kevin spent a Pastoral Year at Saint Agatha Church in Brooklyn.
On June 28, 1997, Father Sweeney was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn by Bishop Thomas Daily. Father Kevin’s first assignment as Parochial Vicar was to the parish of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine (Jamaica) from 1997 to 2003. He was then assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows Church (Corona) from 2003-2004.
In 2004, Father Sweeney was named as the Vocation Director by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. During his time as Vocation Director (which lasted until 2010), he also served as the first Director of the (Saint) Pope John Paul II House of Discernment.
In January 2010, Father Sweeney was appointed as the Pastor of Saint Michael Parish in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where he continues to serve. Father Kevin is fluent in Spanish, having studied the language extensively in programs in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.
Most importantly, above all Father Sweeney’s qualifications and education, is that he was a pastor! He knows firsthand what it is like to be “among his sheep” and how to handle the day to day dealings with parishioners and parochial life. I was told that a few of his assignments were not the greatest, but he flourished in each of them anyway.
I invited Bishop-elect Sweeney to join our Zoom Evening Prayer gathering of a few local priests. Most of them said I was wasting my time and he would never join us. Well, much to their surprise, Bishop-elect Kevin joined us for prayer and great conversation which followed.
My first impression of the soon to be ordained new bishop was that he was a humble man. He was engaging and genuinely interested in each of us who were online. He asked about our educational and pastoral histories and spoke a little about our current pastoral experience.
Of course, I had to ask him a few pointed questions, to which he graciously responded. I asked him if he was surprised by the telephone call from the Nuncio informing him of the Holy Father’s decision to appoint him as the Bishop of Paterson. He told us that he received a telephone call from a “202” area code, which he did not recognize, so he let it go to voicemail thinking that it was a spam call. After he listened to the
message, he realized it was anything but a crank call. He immediately called the Archbishop and was informed of the Holy Father’s decision. He responded: “May I have some time to speak with my spiritual director and get back to you?” To which Archbishop Christophe replied: “You may have some time, but the Holy Father would like your decision immediately.” The next day, he accepted the Holy Father’s decision with great joy.
The following day, I sent him this email: “Dear Bishop Kevin: Just wanted to take a few seconds and send you my sincere and personal thanks for taking the time to join us at Evening Prayer & conversation last evening. Our brothers honestly never thought you would come, but I had faith in you! From my experience of being a bishop’s secretary for 15 years, I know firsthand the challenges, joys and sufferings of wearing the mitre. Because of this, I have been praying for you ever since we received notice that you were going to be our new bishop.
My sincerest prayer is that you continue to be what I have heard you are already, a great pastor! Our diocese desperately needs many things, but the two things we need the most are; a caring shepherd and father for our brothers and a genuine pastoral leader for our people. Be assured of our continued prayers and know that you are always welcome in our small group “in the woods!”
How interesting it is that the day in which our new bishop was officially ordained (July 1, 2020) the Readings for the day spoke of the strong words of the Prophet Amos. Speaking about how the Lord hates and spurns the feasts of the Israelites and takes no pleasure in their solemnities. “But if you offer me burnt offerings, then let justice surge like water.” Amos was calling the Israelites to conversion of mind and deeds which went beyond how they have been thinking and acting. Very much like the Israelites, we think that our enemies are God’s enemies as well. How many times have you heard “If you are my friend, then you won’t be friends with ‘so and so?’” Amos’ shocking challenge to the Israelites (and to us) is that we could become God’s enemies by our actions as well.
How many times do we pray for justice and peace and yet our actions speak the opposite? This is why the Lord reminds us that “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Our worship of God is acceptable to Him only when our actions match our words as seen in our deeds of compassion, peace and justice. The love of God and love of neighbor are intimately and intricately tied together. “For God is Love.”
Interestingly enough, our new bishop took this same Scriptural reference as his episcopal motto “God is Love” (in English and Spanish). One cannot express the love of God without the love of our neighbor. Even the demoniacs of today’s Gospel recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. When we recognize the same, then our actions will be just, our love will be pure and our worship will be acceptable to God. God is Love! (“Dios es Amor”) Are you?
God bless Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, God bless the Diocese of Paterson and God bless Saint Joseph Church. “Ad multos annos!”
Last week’s homily for those who could not attend
That really offends me! What you said was racist! How you said it was xenophobic! The words you used makes me feel uncomfortable and unsafe. These seem to be the common words that are used, not only on most college campuses, but in all kinds of employment, our homes and yes, unfortunately, even our churches.
Can you imagine if Don Rickles was ever around at this time? Can you imagine if All in the Family with Caroll O’Connor was just starting out on television? They would not have a chance. Yet, these two men (to just name a few) made their living, and a good one, at making fun of people. Don Rickles (who worked from the 1950’s to 2015) was worth over $30 million dollars. Caroll O’Connor (aka Archie Bunker, worked from 1966-2002) was worth over $20 million dollars. All that money from making fun of people?? No, they became millionaires because they made people laugh about the truth of their lives.
At the end of every show which Don Rickles performed, he ended with these words: “You know I only kid you; we’re all God’s children; I love you all.” What happened to our senses of humor? When did it not become ok to laugh at ourselves and even at foibles of other people?
One of the greatest and rare pictures which I love the most of Jesus, is the one of Him laughing. We know the pictures of the Cross, of Him healing the sick and teaching the crowds. We’ve seen artist’s depictions of Him turning the tables in the Temple upside down in anger for making the Lord’s House a house of thieves. But the laughing Jesus is as wonderful as the Jesus who has His arms wrapped around the children with the inscription: “Let the children come to me” (Matthew 19:14).
If I were to look at today’s Gospel through the lens of our 21st Century, “everything offends me” lens, then one could easily say that Jesus was pretty offensive today as well. It could be said that He was anti-family and anti-sibling. It could be said that He was masochistic, in asking His followers to endure great pain and suffering. It could be said that He was an enabler for those who wish to walk all over us.
Forsake my own parents? Forsake my own children? Give of my own life over that of others? Welcome strangers? Eat with sinners? Accept people into your life that cannot give you anything? This Jesus is asking way too much and that is offensive. He needs to tone down His rhetoric. He needs to speak in plain sentences and not in parables which confuses everyone. But that is the true mystery of who Jesus was and continues to be; is that he is counter-cultural. He is against the me, myself and I-ism. He is pro-others, pro-sacrifice and even pro-suffering. For Jesus tells us to be hospitable, but that is not easy. Because it requires us readjusting our priorities. It requires that nasty and vulgar word: He requires us to CHANGE! From me to you. From us to them. From this life to the next!
We seem to have lost our senses of humor as well as our senses of hospitality. Christ is asking, no He is demanding, that we put Him first in our lives. The problem is that when we do this, we put ourselves in positions of losing ourselves for the sake of Christ and walking with Him on the way of the Cross, the way to the newness of life. This is what Saint Paul was trying to say by: “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.” And this my dear friends, is MOST offensive to many people.
In today’s First Reading from the 2nd Book of Kings, we heard how Elisha, after coming to Shunem, experienced the hospitality of the wealthy woman, where he dined luxuriously and even had his own furnished room on the roof. Having experienced such generosity and hospitality, his next natural move was to give. “Can something be done for her?” He asked the wealthy woman’s servant. What does she get for the generosity of her hospitality? The gift of new life.
We too are promised the gift of new life when and if we are hospitable as well. Not the gift of a newborn child, but the gift of eternal life. But this gift is not an easy gift to receive. Because in order to receive it, we must be willing to pick up our crosses and follow after the Master. Because, as Saint Paul once again said to the early Church living in Rome, “When we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him.” This is offensive to even more people. This is not joke. This is no laughing matter. But it certainly can fill us with joy. Welcome a prophet? Receive a righteous person? Help one of the “little ones” who need our help? Then and only then, will we see the benefit, the reward of our selflessness. It is only then we will see the TRUTH of God’s goodness.
Don Rickles made us laugh. Archie Bunker allowed us to laugh at him. But Jesus, asks us to walk the road of Calvary with Him as we carry our crosses. If this offends you, too bad, because it is the TRUTH of God, and at the end of this road, is glory. At the end of the road is joy. At the end of this road, there is that actual laughing Jesus filled with happiness and joy that we made it home.
The problem with this TRUTH is that most people cannot handle it. Jesus reminds us that: “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). What He doesn’t tell you, is that it usually will get you in serious trouble and maybe you might actually have to give of your very life. Just ask the headless John the Baptist, ask the upside-down crucified Saint Peter, the beheaded Saint Paul, ask the crucified Jesus Himself. He was the one who said: “I am the Way, the TRUTH and the life” (John 14:6). He was the one who was falsely accused and condemned to death for what? For speaking the TRUTH that no one wanted to hear!
Sometimes saying things that sound offensive, that sound racist, that sound unbearable and difficult to hear (especially about ourselves) are in reality not, but is the truth. Maybe what so many people are actually offended by, what people are uncomfortable with and feel unsafe about, are in reality not any of these things, but something that cuts way too close to the bone; maybe, it is the unbridled TRUTH of life.
Let us never forget to speak the truth. Let us never forget to laugh. And above all, let us never forget to be compassionate and hospitable to the “little ones” of God. For it is only then, we will be His disciples and we will surely not lose our reward!!!
-13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A
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Father Michael J. Burke Thrift Shop (located across the street from the Parish Center)
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Scott Prohaska
S
M
2017 Gold N.J. Herald Reader’s Choice Best Pet Services
WE TREAT YOUR PET LIKE FAMILY! Father Michael J. Burke
March 11, 2018
We remember you with great fondness and love.
We remember Police Officers Destin Legieza, Michael Lee, and Jason Judd, Sergeants Dale Multer and Craig Johnson, Master Detention
Deputy Lynn Jones, Correction Officer Richard Bianchi,
who died in the line of duty or from the Wuhan Virus this past week.
May they be resting in the peace of the heavenly kingdom!
In Loving
Memory of
Frank J. Kruse
We pray for all those who are sick with the Wuhan Virus, those who have died
and those who care for them. May the Lord of mercies continue to bless them with His healing power.
Gone
but never forgotten!
Anne Savacool
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973-383-5200 www.iliff-ruggierofuneralhome.com
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For the measure with
which you measure will in return be measured out
to you.
Luke 6:38
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10 East Clinton Street, Newton 973-383-9330
Gone but never forgotten.
Continue to
watch over your parish family and priest.
We pray for all those who have lost loved ones by the Wuhan
Virus. May the Lord give those who have
died eternal rest and share with their families and friends,
His peace!
Pray for our Salesian Sisters and all the good work they do, especially as Catechists in our
