September 6, 2009 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to prayer: God, faithful and true, you speak to us day after day in your Word proclaimed to us. Open our ears to hear your voice that we may be a joyful witness to this Word. We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son and Our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 7:31-37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” -. that is, “Be opened!” –
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: The cure of the deaf-mute points to a deeper reality. The deaf-mute symbolizes that all of us need to open our ears to God’s word in order to proclaim it. God comes to save all of us.

Questions for reflection and sharing:
1. What words or phrases stand out for you in the gospel?
2. Why are the poor so singled out in scripture?
3. Why might the sick and the poor be more receptive to God?
4. How might I seek solitude so the Lord can touch me?

Concluding prayer: Lord our God, in you justice and mercy meet. With unparalleled love you have saved us from death and drawn us into the circle of your life. Open our eyes to the wonders this life sets before us, that we may serve you free from fear. We ask this in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

 

KCans4Life: A Better Kind of Redemption September 5, 2009

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: September 5, 2009

 

August 29-30, 2009 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to prayer: God of truth, you gave us your law made flesh in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Open our eyes and our hearts to see, understand, and follow in the path in which you will lead us today. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.

“From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

The gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus has strong words for us here. We must not merely pay lip service to God. We must not be influenced by what goes on around us. We must focus on our relationship with God and let go of other things.

Questions for reflection and sharing:
1. What words or phrases are important to you in this gospel?
2. Can you recall an experience when “the way we (your Church, society, your personal life) do things” got in the way of what’s really important?
3. Relate a time when you judged a person unacceptable because of externals.
4. Is there anything in your life that is more external observance than a matter of the heart?

Concluding prayer: Lord God of power and might, all is of value which comes from your hand. Place in our hearts a desire to please you and fill us with your love. May all our efforts be filled with your peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

August 22-23 Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to prayer: God of love, you sent us your only Son as the gift of life. Reawaken in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love that we may be a faithful witness to the truth of the Gospel and the power of your word. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 6:60-69

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

The gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Some disciples doubt what Jesus is teaching. Some of them return to their former way of life. Peter said he would not leave because he knew that Jesus had the words of eternal life.

Questions for Reflection and Sharing:
1. What words or phrases are important to you in this reading?
2. What insights about the identity of Jesus can you draw from this reading?
3. How do the disciples make their decisions? with their head? their heart? promptings of the Holy Spirit?

Concluding prayer: Lord, our God, all truth is from you and you alone bring oneness of heart. Give us joy as we hear your word. May the attractions of our world serve only to bring us closer to you. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

August 15-16 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to prayer: O God of all the living, you call us daily to the banquet of life. Open our hearts to the gift of your wisdom that we may live according to your will and feast forever at your table in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowds:
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven.
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus invites us to eat his body and drink his blood. Participation in the Eucharist brings us possession of “eternal life” and is thus a pledge of eventual resurrection.

Questions for Reflection and Sharing:
1. What words or phrases stand out for you in this reading?
2. Who have you invited to the Eucharist as Jesus invites us to eat his body and drink his blood?
3. Is the Eucharist for us a tasting and seeing the goodness of the Lord?

Concluding prayer: God of love and mercy, by the sacrament of Eucharist you make us one with you. By becoming more like him on earth, may we come to share your glory in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

August 8-9 Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to prayer: God of mercy and compassion, you sent food to strengthen your people in the desert for the journey to the promised land. You send us in Christ the bread of life to strengthen us for our journey on the road of discipleship. Sustain us in courage, faith, and hope, that we may one day see you face to face, through the same Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 6:41-51

The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
“I am the bread that came down from heaven,”
and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph?
Do we not know his father and mother?
Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: To understand Jesus it is necessary to have the gift of faith. God offers this gift to all who are open to receive it. Faith is acceptance of Jesus, and this faith in Jesus, eating the living bread, gives eternal life.

Questions for reflection and sharing:
1. What words or phrases are important to you in this reading?
2. What responses are expected of those who are “taught by God?”
3. How does believing in eternal life affect your daily living?

Concluding prayer: Almighty and ever-living God, touch our hearts and help us grow toward the life you have promised. Touch our lives and make them signs of your love for all people. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

August 1-2 Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Call to prayer: O God of wonder and of praise, open our eyes to the glory revealed in the law of the new covenant in Christ. Give light to our eyes and make us attentive to the Gospel. Hear us through your beloved Son Jesus. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 6:24-35

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,you are looking for me not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishesbut for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
So they said to him,“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:
He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
So Jesus said to them,“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.” So they said to him,“Sir, give us this bread always.”

The gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: A man who fails to love the Mass fails to love Christ. We must make an effort to “live” the Mass with calm and serenity, with devotion and affection. And this is why I have always suspected that those who want the Mass to be over with quickly show, with this insensitive attitude, that they have not yet realized what the sacrifice of the altar means.
– St. Josemaría Escriva de Balaguer

Questions for reflection and sharing:
In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus proclaiming that he is “the bread of life.” He then offers an invitation to come to him. For us, the invitation is to live the Eucharistic life in Christ. What does it mean for our parish family to live together in the Eucharist? What does it mean for us to share the Eucharist together, to participate in the “bread of life” together? Does it mean we love each other, support our community of faith, work together? Do we carry each other’s burdens? Celebrate our joys? What are the practical implications of being good stewards of our Eucharistic life together?

Concluding prayer: All-loving God, in the transfigured glory of Christ your Son, strengthen our faith by showing us the splendor of your beloved sons and daughters. As we listen to the voice of your Son, help us to become heirs to eternal life with him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

KCans4Life: A Better Kind of Redemption August 1, 2009

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: August 1

 

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 25-26, 2009

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of
Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
Focus: This reading tells the story of Jesus feeding hungry people. This is from the gospel of John who teaches us that all the acts of Jesus are signs or sacraments which point to a deeper reality.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. What words or phrases are important to you in this gospel?

2. Describe how feeding the hungry is a sign or sacrament to a deeper reality.

3. Can you think of a time when your prayers were answered on God’s terms rather than your own?

4. Can you describe a time when you experienced abundance in your life?

Concluding prayer: All generous God, help us to share what you have given us. Sustain us with your word and your food. Bond us together in your love and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 18-19, 2009

Call to prayer: Lord, fill us with your gifts as we gather in your name. Make us always eager to serve you in faith, hope and love. Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

Focus: Jesus looks on the crowd with great feeling. They have no one to teach them. Jesus calls on his disciples to be the kind of shepherd that he is.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

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

2. What qualities characterize a “good” shepherd in today’s reading?

3. Have you ever felt like a sheep without a shepherd? Where or from whom do you seek care?

Concluding prayer: Shepherd of all your people, you look with compassion upon your people as we hunger and thirst for true life. Send us wise and faithful leaders who will feed us on your word, guide us in your ways and bring us safely to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.