KCans4Life: A Better Kind of Redemption

View the KCans4Life Flyer

You “KCan” do it! Join the Knights of Columbus in our “KCans4Life” campaign!

 

WHAT: St. Wenceslaus K of C Council #14385 collects all cans and bottles with a 5¢ IA redemption. No need to sort!

WHEN: First Saturday of every month, from 10:30 am to 1 pm.

WHERE: St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church parking lot, Davenport and Dodge Streets

WHY: All proceeds go to benefit the Choices Medical Clinic, which provides free prenatal care, counseling, and ultrasounds.

PLEASE help women in need to make the right choice: LIFE.

Next Drop Offs: July 11, August 1

 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 11-12, 2009

Call to prayer: O God, the giver of all good gifts, you fill us to overflowing with the gifts of grace through Jesus Christ. Enlarge our hearts to welcome God with grateful praise into every aspect of our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus sent the twelve to the towns in Galilee. It is a trail mission that looks ahead to the Christian mission to the world at large. All Christians are to speak for God even when the world does not care to listen.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. What words are phrases are important to you?

2. As believers we are graced in Christ. How do today’s Scriptures describe our responsibilities?

3. How do you feel when you are called away on an emergency and you had to leave without the usual necessities?

Concluding prayer: God, all-powerful, your light of truth guides us to the way of Christ. May all who follow him reject what is contrary to the gospel. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, our Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

 

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 4-5, 2009

Call to prayer: O God, be with us as we gather in your name. Break through our deafness of heart to speak to us the Word of life. Grant that we might hear and recognize your voice and respond in faith, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 6:1-6

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus’ own family, friends and townspeople turn him off. He returns home but their rejection does not stop his mission. Jesus cures the sick and moves on to teach others.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. What words or phrases stand out for you in this gospel?

2. What keeps the people from hearing the words of Jesus? What do they need in order to hear?

3. What keeps you going when you don’t feel support?

Concluding prayer: O God, your wisdom echoes across the centuries to shape our lives in your image. Remove from our sight the veil that hides your splendor. Flood us with the light of the Holy Spirit. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time June 28, 2009

Call to prayer: God of all the living, we praise you for the gift of life that you have bestowed on us by creating us and redeeming us from sin and death through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Grant us the wisdom always to choose the ways of life over the ways of death. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
“My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live.”
He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.
She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.”
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?”
But his disciples said to Jesus, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said,
“Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?”
Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official,
“Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.
He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: This reading has two stories – one of the sick daughter and the other the unclean woman. Both take a risk and ask Jesus for help. Jesus responds tenderly. He calms their fears, confirms their faith and restores the woman to health and the daughter to new life.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. What words or phrases stand out for you?

2. Are there times when the storms of life seemed much more real than God’s presence?

3. Have you had experiences when someone affirmed you (built you up) and helped you in your struggle?

Concluding prayer: All-loving God, you call us to walk in the light of Christ. Free us from the darkness of sin, pain and suffering and keep us in the radiance of your truth. Form our lives in your truth and your hearts in your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 21, 2009

A call to prayer: God of glory and power, you sent your Son to redeem us from the waters of chaos and death. Grant us wisdom and courage to turn to you in prayerful confidence when the forces of sin and destruction threaten our peace and the peace of those around us. We ask this in your name, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Focus: Mark is writing to the early Christians in Rome who are being persecuted and whose lives are upset and threatened. The storm at sea represents the evil that God conquers. Jesus calms the sea and puts our life back in order.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. What words stand out for you in this gospel?

2. How does the gospel reading portray the disciples’ relationship with Jesus?

3. How has the word of God in the Scriptures stilled your storms?

Concluding prayer: All-loving God, you stilled the raging of the waves. You rebuked the wind and set the sea at rest. Calm our fears. Stir up our faith that we may lend our hands to your work of making the whole creation new. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, June 14, 2009

Call to prayer: Lord Jesus, be with us here today as we celebrate your gift of the Eucharist. This gift is a continual reminder of the gift of your life for us. We pray that we may be forever grateful. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples said to him,
“Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
“Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water. Follow him.
Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house,
The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”
Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready,
Make the preparations for us there.”
The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them;
and they prepared the Passover.
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, gave it to them, and said,
“Take it; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
He said to them,
“This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.
Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Word of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus uses the Passover symbols of blessing the bread and wine and passing them around. But he goes beyond this point to claim this bread as his body and the wine as his blood, a gift to us.

Questions for reflection and sharing:
1. What words are important to you in this gospel?
2. How does the Eucharist nourish your spiritual life?
3. After celebrating the first Eucharist, Jesus and his apostles went out singing songs of praise. What might we do to make our Eucharistic celebration a greater celebration?

Concluding prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us your body and blood in the Eucharist as a sign that even now we share your life. May we come to possess it completely in the kingdom where you live for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, June 7, 2009

Call to prayer: God our Father, you sent into the world your Son and your Spirit to reveal to all peoples your wondrous mystery. Grant us the grace to acknowledge the glory of the Trinity and adore your all-powerful Unity. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: The gospel gives us the strongest call to evangelize and to baptize in the name of the Trinity. The Trinity is the one true God who creates, liberates and makes holy. Into this God, a community of persons, we are plunged by our Baptism.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. What words stand out for you in this reading?

2. How does our Church evangelize today?
How do we evangelize?

3. Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. What is your understanding and experience of the Trinity?

Concluding prayer: God, Father all-powerful, Christ the Lord and Savior, Spirit of love, we praise you. One God, three Persons, be near to the people formed in your image, close to the world your love brings to life. We ask you this, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, true and living, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Feast of Pentecost May 31, 2009

Call to prayer: All loving God, you open wide your hand and satisfy the needs of all who live with your good gifts. Pour forth your Holy Spirit on our Church gathered in prayer. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: The Holy Spirit came to the Apostles. Now they are to do what Jesus did: forgive sins, heal divisions, bring about reconciliation and joy to all. All Christians are commissioned and given power to carry on this mission.

Questions for Reflection and Sharing:

1. What are the important words for you in this reading?

2. What do the words “I’m sending you” call you to do this week?

3. What does the statement “Peace be with you” say to you?

Concluding prayer: O God, through the mystery of Pentecost, you sanctify your Church in every place and nation. Pour out the gifts of the Spirit upon the whole world, and bring to completion in our hearts the work of love which you began with your first proclamation of the kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Seventh Sunday of Easter May 24, 2009 The Feast of the Ascension may be celebrated on Sunday instead of Thursday.

Call to prayer: Eternal God, your Son has saved us by rising from the dead, so that transcending time he might free us from death. May his presence among us lead to the vision of unlimited truth and beauty. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 17:11b-19

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me,
and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you.
I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely,
I gave them your word, and the world hated them,
because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world
but that you keep them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.
And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: As Jesus prepares to return to the Father, he asks his Father to keep his people faithful to the truth and to witness to all that Jesus has said and done.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. Do any words or phrases from this gospel have significance for you?

2. In what ways does the Church not “belong to the world?”

3. Who might need us to pray for them this week as Jesus prayed for his disciples?

Concluding prayer: O God, make us joyful in the Ascension of your Son Jesus Christ. May we follow him into the new creation, for his Ascension is our glory and our hope. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Sixth Sunday of Easter May 17, 2009

Call to prayer: All loving God, help us to celebrate our joy in the resurrection of Jesus and to express in our lives the love we celebrate. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus assures his disciples that he will continue to love them. He uses an intimate phrase, “I love you.” Then he commands us to love others as he loves us.

Questions for Reflection and Sharing:

1. What words or phrases are important for us in this gospel reading?
2. What if the pastoral plan for our parish was “love one another as I love you.” What might our parish look like?
3. As you reflect on Jesus calling you his friend, what thoughts and feelings come to you? How might you respond this week?

Concluding prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, through the resurrection of your Son, you have redeemed us and made us his children. May our lives be holy and may we strive to love others as you have loved us. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.