St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church 2414 Seventeenth Street, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501

Telephone (228) 864-2272 Fax (228) 864-2273 Email: stjohnthee@cableone.net

Staff: Rev. Joseph Uko, Pastor Deacon David Allen, Pastoral Associate Sr. Mary Kealy, PBVM, Pastoral Associate Teri Patton, Parish Secretary Masses: Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 a.m. Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Daily Mass: Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. Spanish Mass: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Holy Days: 6:00 p.m., Vigil, 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. Confession: Saturday 4:00 – 4:45 p.m. and anytime on request

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time August 30, 2015

LIP SERVICE

Of all the human frailties and foibles, faults and sins, the one that seems to elicit the worst howls is hypocrisy. When we profess to believe and practice one thing, and then are caught behaving in the opposite way, our shame is (or ought to be) profound. Religious hypocrisy is probably the worst. When we hold our actions and beliefs to a higher stan-dard and then fail to live up to them, it's human and sinful and flawed. But when we proclaim that we are holding up that higher standard at the same time that we are knowingly violating it, there is a fundamental dishonesty, a breach of truth that is especially repugnant. It adds sin to sin and dishonors the very idea of virtue. It becomes a scandal.

SINCERITY AND TRUTH Jesus was constantly trying to get people to see and understand that mere observance of the law was not what pleased God. What is in the heart is what is most important. This does not mean that good intentions justify bad actions! We humans are complicated and wily. We are quite capable of creating huge and complex human structures that are just difficult enough to convince us that we are following some right "way" and that others are not. God's laws are simple: love God, love your neighbor as yourself. There is no need to complicate love. Jesus points out that real uncleanness comes from within a person. Evil intentions and every kind of bad behav-ior have their roots in our inner sinfulness, our selfishness. That is what Jesus came to save us from. Of course we can-not, by our own devices, be better people. We are utterly dependent on God for the necessary change of heart that will result in good and loving actions. God freely offers us this help, if only we would stop hiding behind the screen of self-righteousness. If we are humble enough to recognize our own selfishness, and loving enough truly to care for the well-being of others, we will be able to fulfill both the letter and the spirit of the law. Copyright (c) 2005, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time August 30, 2015

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

— James 1:21b

TRADITION Tradition is long human memory set, not in stone, but in human interaction. Without this active memory, the bonds of relationship and affection fray and fall apart. Communities dissolve as surely as neglected buildings do. After participating in events, celebrations, and even small rituals, we remark about how good it is to gather and remember. Today’s readings remind us of foundations laid deeper than the human will to relate. Today we hear about God’s will to relate to us—to be our God as we are called to be God’s own beloved people. Today in three readings and three ways we remember the covenant bonds that create us as a people and the obli-gation and responsibility that express the innermost atti-tude of soul. You are mine. I am yours. These are God’s words that created a people as surely as “Let there be light” created the sun and moon and all the stars. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Welcome to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church!

If you are new to the parish and have not yet reg-istered, please call 864-2272.

We welcome a new parishioner this week- Elizabeth Taillon.

C.C.D. (Grades K-12) ................ Sundays, 9:00-10:15 A.M. Knights of Columbus...... 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 P.M. K C Ladies Auxiliary..................... 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. R.C.I.A. .................................................Tuesdays, 6:30 P.M. St. Vincent de Paul................... 2nd Wednesday, 9:00 A.M. Young At Heart............................... 4th Thursday, 12 Noon

Happy birthday wishes– James Papania celebrates Aug. 30; Thomas Brosig, Najla Lombard & Barbara Walker celebrate Aug. 31; Deacon David Allen celebrates Sept. 1; Rachel Ray celebrates Sept. 3.

May God Bless them with many more Happy Birthdays!

The second collection at all Masses next weekend is for Catholic University

The Annual Parish Drawdown and Silent Auction is Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in Presentation Hall. This drawdown is to assist our parish with the rising cost of insurance and maintenance of our buildings and other parish projects. The success of the drawdown and silent auction depends on everyone’s participation. Tickets are $100 for a chance to win $10,000. If you are unable to purchase a whole ticket, you may share with someone for $50 or three people for $25. We encourage every adult parishioner to actively participate by purchasing a draw-down ticket and donating items for the silent auction. Si-lent auction items can be dropped off at the parish office. Tickets are available after Mass and also in the Parish office Monday-Friday from 10am-5pm.

How does one become Catholic? There are several ways. The Catholic Church warmly welcomes new members and tries to provide appropriate spiritual formation ac-cording to each person’s needs. The 2015-2016 RCIA Faith Journey will begin Sept. 8. Be an evangelizer for the Lord. Now is the time to invite your non-Catholic or fallen away Catholic relatives and friends to consider joining us in St. John the Evangelist Parish. Call the Parish office for more information, 228 864-2272.

St. Vincent De Paul There will be a 5th Sunday Second collection at all Masses this weekend is for our St. John’s St. Vincent De Paul. In these difficult times please be as generous as you feel you can. Every little bit is a help. May God bless you for your continued generosity! Congratulations to Corey and Anna

Lombard on the anniversary of their wed-ding! Corey & Anna celebrate their 19th anni-versary on Aug. 31. May God bless them with many more happy years together!

Father Uko will join some priests in our diocese for a three day seminar organized by the Diocese of Biloxi this week. There will be no Mass celebrated at St. John on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 2 & 3. We will resume Mass on Friday at St. Johns. The following neighboring churches will celebrate Mass on Wednesday and Thurs-day. St. James-Wed. at 8:30am & Thurs. at 7am & 8:30am. St. Joseph-Wed. & Thurs. at 8am

The flowers on the altar this weekend were donated by Gee Gee Grandis

in loving memory of her mother Genevieve Verin Grandis

Thank you!

We really appreciate those who donate toward the flowers for our church. Sometimes dona-tions are made in honor of an event (anniversary, birthday, etc.) or in memory of a loved one. The following dates are open:

all weekends in Sept.; Oct. 11, 18, 25; Nov. 15, 22. If you would like to have flowers placed in church, please con-tact the parish office at 228 864-2272.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Last week’s discussion of the permanent diaconate and its restoration will lead inevitably to questions about “deaconesses,” something certainly under study as histori-ans and liturgists research our tradition’s treasures. To-day, there are some settings in which women are en-trusted with pastoral administration and have been called to preach and to officiate at weddings. Lay people can lead the funeral rites and daily prayer. Yet the question of ordination to the diaconate for women is complex. Yes, we have had deaconesses in our tradition. We know that they assisted with the baptism of women, and that minis-tries were entrusted to them. We also know that some early church councils took care to call them lay persons, and specifically forbade ordination. What confuses the picture is that they may have been the wives of deacons, who, like the wives of priests and bishops, were expected to serve the community as exemplars of the Christian life. Long after deaconesses disappeared, their ministry was treasured and carried on by religious women in conse-crated life. It is clear that one of our greatest treasures is the vibrant engagement of women in ministry over the centuries. What is not as clear is where our questions will lead. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

CCD Registration CCD registration for the current school year will be held through August 30. The registration forms can be found on the tables in the back of the church and can be re-turned to the Parish Office or be placed in the envelope in the Memorial Room. It is important to register your child to ensure that books and supplies are properly or-dered and on hand for the beginning of class. As a re-minder, if your child does not attend Catholic school, he/she should be registered in our CCD Program. Classes will be held on Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:15 and will resume on September 13. Sacrament of Confirmation If your child is in the eleventh or twelfth grade and wants to be confirmed in the Spring of 2016, he/she must be registered in the CCD Program, regardless of whether he/she attends Catholic school. The Sacrament of Confir-mation is celebrated in the parish; and as such, the candi-dates are prepared in our Confirmation Class held on Sunday mornings from 9:00 – 10:15. Classes will re-sume on September 13. CCD Program Volunteers If you would be willing to serve as a CCD teacher or substitute teacher for the upcoming school year, please contact the Rectory at 864-2272 or Linda Hebert at 832-7551. Please note that in order to help protect our youth, all individuals who work with minors undergo an official background check by the Diocese of Biloxi.

First Friday Adoration, September 4. Adoration, 8:00am until 5:00pm, ending with Benediction. The sign up sheet is on the center table. We would like to see at least 2 people per hour. Please sign up to spend an hour with Jesus. First Saturday Devotion, September 5. The schedule is 8:30am Confession; 9:00am Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Meditation and Benediction.

The Catholic Diocese of Biloxi is organizing Marriage Preparation Training for New Sponsor Couples on Sep-tember 19, 2015 at St. Francis Xavier Church, Wiggins. At this workshop, couples will be trained to assist couples in their preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage. If you feel called to this ministry, please contact Fr. Uko and register for the workshop before Tuesday, Sept. 8. Each couple from our parish must register by going to the “For Better and For Ever” website and complete the online registration form. www.marriagepreparation.com Click on “register” in the upper right corner. On the next screen click on “Register for Sponsor Couple Training” On the next screen click on “Sept. 19 Diocese of Biloxi” and fill out the form. Then click next and follow direc-tions on the screen. If you have problems call 702-2131.

Volunteers Needed!!! The hospitality committee in our parish has done an ex-cellent job in hosting refreshments after the masses on the weekend, and it has been so well received we would like to offer refreshments more often, all it takes is YOU!!! We are needing more volunteers to expand this ministry in our parish at no expense to you. The parish pays for all refreshments, all you have to do is purchase what you will serve and turn in your ticket to Teri, and you will be reim-bursed. This is a wonderful and easy ministry that takes very little of your time, this has given our parish a chance to visit and get to know each other better. Please consider joining our "angels of love and hospitality!"

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Saturday: Special Intention of Pat Pierce Sunday: 8:00am– +Matthew & Thelma Serpa 10:30am– +Richard Beede; +Genevieve Verin Grandis 6:00pm– People of the Parish Monday: +Gloria White Tuesday: +Vincent Nguyen Xuan Su Wednesday: +Mackie Fayard Thursday: +Mary “Bootsie” Guinn Friday: +Gladys Hazel Blanke

Collection: August 22-23 Identifiable: $3422 Unidentifiable: $541 ACH: $200 Catholic School Support: $400

Thank you for your generosity!

William Allen Brian Bacuzzi Peter Bacuzzi Theresa Barlow Mary Anne Bishop Irene Bosarge Grace Bush Pablo Cabasa Carol Campbell Buddy Cospelich Rhonda Cospelich Socorro Crabbe Kevin Crane Jennifer Davis Deanne Fasold Nicole Gilbert Lorraine Goad Tom Goode Jessi Hebert

Mary Herrin Mary Hickman Bethanie Jones Margaret Jowers Mary Kealy Aspen King Kemberly Lacap Gary Lacy Patty Loften Walter Lolley S. J. Marengo Andrew Matner Betty McGuire Blayze McKinney Rhonda Mires Margaret Moran Donna Neal Angel Nichols Roseann Painter

Trey Patterson Masella Phillips Doris Ransom Taylor Rayburn Gary Reeves Dr. Frank Rice Lexi Roberson Austin Seymour Don Seymour Donna Smith James Smith James Smith, Jr. Karen Stafford Herman Strock Marvin Thompson Becky Truxillo Felecia Vann Addie Wittmann Betty Zimmerman

Please Remember in Your Prayers

Prayer is the door through which all God’s Graces comes to us -St. Theresa of Avila

TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — Moses directs the people to observe the commandments of the Lord (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8). Psalm — The one who does justice will live in the pres-ence of the Lord (Psalm 15). Second Reading — Welcome the word that you have received and become doers of the word, not hearers only (James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27). Gospel — You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, Inter-national Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

Monday: 1 Thes 4:13-18; Ps 96:1, 3-5, 11-13; Lk 4:16-30 Tuesday: 1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11; Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14; Lk 4:31-37 Wednesday: Col 1:1-8; Ps 52:10-11; Lk 4:38-44 Thursday: Col 1:9-14; Ps 98:2-6; Lk 5:1-11 Friday: Col 1:15-20; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 5:33-39 Saturday: Col 1:21-23; Ps 54:3-4, 6, 8; Lk 6:1-5 Sunday: Is 35:4-7a; Ps 146:7-10; Jas 2:1-5; Mk 7:31-37

SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Thursday: St. Gregory the Great Friday: First Friday Saturday: Blessed Virgin Mary; First Saturday

Our prayer group meets every Thursday afternoon from 5:15-6:15pm. Everyone is invited to join us. For more information call the Parish office, 864-2272.

Bible Study– Last Chance to sign up!! I will order the books on Monday- Join us for Acts: The Spread of the Kingdom, beginning September 14 at 1:00pm and also September 17 at 6:00pm. The cost of the study material is $30. There is a sign up sheet on the back table.

If you had your picture taken for the parish pictorial di-rectory and did not pick up your copy at Mass last week-end, they are available to be picked up in the Parish office Monday—Friday 10am-5pm.

GOD’S WORD TODAY Today Saint James offers us a reminder: “Humbly wel-come the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.” He goes on to tell us to be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” What does it mean to be “doers of the word”? Perhaps what we are called to do is to be more attentive when the scriptures are proclaimed. Too often the sacred word just goes by us, without mak-ing any impression. We need to become people who ex-pect that God’s word will have an impact on us each and every week when we gather in this holy place. God’s word is meant to transform us—our attitudes and ac-tions—into people who radiate Christ, the one who is the eternal Word of the Father. As the word of God is pro-claimed today let us pray that we will honor God with hearts transformed and spirits uplifted by that very word. From Saint Margaret Sunday Missal, copyright © J. S. Paluch Company

If you or anyone in your family is ill at home or in the hospital and would like us to visit you-please call the parish office at 864-2272.

Calendar of Events Sept 13 CCD classes resume 14 Bible study 1pm 17 Bible study 6pm 20 Parish Picnic 22 Anointing of the Sick, 11:15 24 Young at Heart, Presentation Hall at Noon Oct 4 Mary’s Day Celebration, 10:30am Mass 14 Ministry Appreciation Dinner, 6pm 22 Young at Heart, Presentation Hall at Noon 31 Vigil Mass 6pm– All Saints

2016 European Shrines Tour with Father Joseph Uko Come join our group for a once in a lifetime pilgrimage experience in some of Europe’s awe inspiring Shrines and Cathedrals. Dates: April 25-May 7, 2016 Places and Shrines to see: Lisbon, Alcobaca, Fatima, Braga (Portugal), Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, San Ignacio de Loyola, Barcelona (Spain), Lourdes, Carcas-sonne (France) Cost: $2,999.00 per person Includes:1.Daily breakfast, 6 dinners, lunch on your own) 2. Round trip airfare from Gulfport 3. Cost of land tour 4. Airport transfer to hotel in Lisbon and hotel to airport in Barcelona. How to Book: Call Rose Morrissey at 866-842-4835 (except July 23-August 9, 2015). Book by September 15, 2015 with a $25o non-refundable deposit and receive a $100 early booking discount. Trip Insurance: Available for $209.00 per person For More Information, please contact: Cynthia Dominguez at 228 896-4905 or email Cyn-thia.d1973@yahoo.com

Hurricane Prayer O Heavenly Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms that threaten us and turn our fear into praise of your goodness. Protect us from hurri-canes and disasters of nature. We pray through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.