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St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church www.xavierbrunswick.org, 912-265-3249 July 12, 2020
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
www.xavierbrunswick.org, 912-265-3249
July 12, 2020
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Isaiah proclaims, "Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there 'til they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth…" In the New Testament we hear, "the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12).
All this reminds us of the power of the Word of God. Have not we all experienced being cut to the heart by a scripture? You are reading your Bible or attending mass and you hear a verse that speaks to your heart. You say, "That verse was written for me." Another common experience is to have heard a particular verse scores of times but one day the verse strikes you as if you were hearing it for the first time.
Don't we acknowledge our love for Sacred Scripture at every mass? The lector proclaims, "The Word of the Lord" and we respond, "Thanks be to God." The priest or deacon proclaims, "The Gospel of the Lord" and we respond, "Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ." We are acknowledging the role Scripture plays in our lives.
What is the Word of God? I love the definition of Sacred Scripture from Vatican II "Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit"(Dei Verbum 9). Imagine that! We have the very speech of God put down in writing. Scripture is the mind of God revealed to us. Scripture is the concrete expression of the will of God for our lives.
How do I respond to these sacred writings? I like to tell people that the Bible is a collection of 73 letters that God has written to us. Everyone loves to get letters. If you get a handwritten letter I bet that you keep it and re-read it several times. How often do you open and re-read your Heavenly Father's Letters to you?
When we live the Gospel we make it attractive to others. People are looking for genuine witnesses today. Pope Paul VI said, "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." Many people love the writings and reflections of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II because they have walked the talk.
To inspire others we need to soak in the Word of God. How do we do that? Here are some suggestions. On Wednesday of each week go over the Mass readings for the coming Sunday. Ask your children to think about what God is saying. Commit to reading one chapter from the OT and one from the NT each day. Another idea is to read a chapter from one of the Gospels every day.
What does Paul say about all of the sufferings he endured for preaching the Word of God? "Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us." Make no mistake about it. It will challenge every fiber of your being to embrace and live out the Word of God, but if we do embrace it we will bear fruit 30, 60 and one hundred fold and enjoy everlasting life!
-Fr. Tim McKeown
Prayer for our Next Bishop
O God, eternal shepherd, Who govern your flock with unfailing care, Grant us in
your boundless fatherly love, The gift of a shepherd Who will please you with his
holiness, Instruct your people by his virtues, And imbue the minds of the faithful
with the truth of the Gospel. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Weekend Mass Schedule in July
Saturday:
5:00 pm at SFX
Sunday:
No 7:00 am Sunday Mass
8:30 am
11:00 am
6:00 pm (Spanish)
New Video Series! Metanoia Metanoia means conversion, but it is much more than that. It means to change,
to repent, to turn, to think differently. Metanoia is an ongoing process. As
Christians we are to live a life of metanoia. In the very beginning of Mark’s
Gospel Jesus says, “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at
hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk. 1:15) The purpose of this se-
ries is to assist the viewer in this ongoing metanoia. I believe Jesus invites
everyone to a deeper more profound conversion - a metanoia - that moves us
from something to someone, as metanoia ultimately turns us to Jesus. As you
walk through this series, I will continually be praying that you may come to
understand how everyone is in constant need of metanoia and that this truth is
a source of hope and encouragement. I pray that we all might continually ex-
perience this metanoia and seek the transformative grace of the Holy Spirit. We will offer this series on Wednesdays at 10:30 beginning July 15 in the
Narthex with appropriate social distancing. Each week we will watch two
of the half hour videos and have time for discussion. We will also offer an
evening session Wednesdays at 5:30 pm in the Narthex. Come and experi-
ence Metanoia!
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing com-
pared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the
revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own
accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set
free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but
we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we
wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds
gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood
along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out
to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil
was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed
fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears
ought to hear.”
Matthew 13: 1-9
Romans 8:18 - 23
Isaiah 55:10 - 11
Psalm: The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Mass Intentions - July 11 - 19
July 11th - t Dan & Rose Browning & Benjamin Parse
July 12th - t Annette Dussault, t Jack Hardman, t Cesar Zegarra
July 13th - Special Intentions
July 14th - t Souls in Purgatory
July 15th- t Jack Rea, t Serafina Ferra
July 16th- t James Joseph Fahy
July 17th - t Filippo Spina
July 18th - t Anthony J. Albenze
July 19th - Sp. Intentions, t Elaine Knight/Beau Vendetti, Our Parish Family
PRAYING IN THE CHURCH The church is open each day from 8:00 a.m. til 6:00 p.m. Please park in front of the church or on Newcastle Street. FINANCIAL SUPPORT Many people have been so generous to ask about supporting SFX during our time of exile. Thank you! People may mail their offertory envelopes in or drop them in the mail slot at our 405 Howe St. Office. Many people have begun using on-line giving through this link: https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/1871. Thanks for your support and be assured of our prayers for you and your families!
Evening Prayers/Rosary are a nice way to wrap up our busy days. We livestream these prayers on Facebook on Sunday, Monday and Tues-day at 7 p.m. Daily Mass Schedule: Mondays at Noon. Tuesday thru Friday
at 8:00 a.m. Wed. nights at 7:00 pm.
We will continue to livestream daily mass and the Sat. 5:00
pm vigil. Sunday livestream at 11:00 a.m.
CONFESSIONS Confessions are offered on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. Sundays at 7:45
a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School has openings for the following part-time positions:
Middle School ELA/Social Studies teacher Music Teacher
Please forward a letter of interest and resume to:
Baby Bottles for Skylark Pregnancy Center are available on the
back tables. If you want, you can do an online contribution
instead of change. Paper bottles are also on the table with
directions on how to contribute. Physical bottles need to be
returned by July 19th.
St Vincent de Paul is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10-4.
The Food Pantry is re-opening. This is being done slowly and carefully to ensure safety for both our clients and our volunteers. The needs of our community have never been greater, and we thank you for your continued support and gen-erosity. If you can contribute, we will be most grateful. Prayers are always wel-come.
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry has the following specific needs:
Vienna sausage and luncheon meats like Spam are always popular as well as pop-top cans or pouches of tuna fish and chicken along with micro-waveable pasta & meat items. Powdered milk and cereals like Cheerios, Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes are always welcomed by our clients with children. Grape jelly, Strawberry jelly/jam/or preserves in unbreakable containers are much appreciated. Please think in terms of regular-size items rather than large or super-size. Pop-top cans and microwaveable items meet the needs of those we serve who do not have kitchen facilities. BOGO’s are a great way to buy one for your family and one for our pantry. Basic personal hygiene items for men and women are always needed.
St. Francis Xavier Staff email addresses
Fr. Tim: [email protected]
Fr. Chris: [email protected]
Ann: [email protected]
Deacon Larry: [email protected]
Marisol: [email protected]
Juan: [email protected]
Maggie: [email protected]
Dr. Mermann: [email protected]
