JUNE 23, 2013
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sacrifice yourself along with the Eucharist
ZEC 12:10-11; 13:1 GAL 3:26-29 LK 9:18-24 (96)
St. Gregory the Great tells us that it’s not enough just to be
there when the sacrifice is made: we should be sacrificing
ourselves, too, imitating the sacrifice on the altar.
“Each one of you is a son of God because of your faith in Christ Jesus. All
of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
him”… “Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up
his cross, and follow in my steps. Whoever would save his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
On the day of baptism a symbolic robe was offered you and you were told of
being clothed in Christ. You were reminded to keep that robe unstained until the
coming of the Lord. On that day you began your life as a ‘follower’ of the Lord.
Today I ask myself about being clothed in Christ and what that means to me. Is
that baptismal garment clean or has it become spoiled by my weakness,
sinfulness, selfishness? As I live in this ‘Year of Faith’ what must I do to restore
its purity and the innocence it represents? These are questions that I alone can
answer.
As I move to Jesus’ gospel challenge I see three simple yet profound steps that
must be taken.
1. To deny self happens when I embrace Him and say ‘yes’ to the Lord.
2. To take up the cross, is not to look for ways to suffer, but to find Jesus’ saving
action in what I do, especially in my service to others and the church.
3. Finally there are many ways to ‘follow’. Like Peter in the patio, I can remain at
a distance seeing what happens with my life safe, secure but not involved. Like
James and John I can leave my father’s boat in answer to His summons as He
asks me to build His kingdom. Volunteer opportunities are many as people bring
the good news to others, in our parish or as lay missionaries always aware of the
spiritual connection to Jesus. A follower may also be a consecrated or ordained
minister, committing oneself to the Lord and His service in a deeper, richer
spiritual life.
Let’s pray that we all may respond and follow the Lord as He wishes. Remember
it began the day you were baptized.
HIS WORD TODAY by Rev. William J. Reilly
We should offer to God the daily sacrifice of tears, and the daily
sacrifice of his body and blood. For this sacrifice, which in
mystery renews to us the death of the Son of God, especially
saves our souls from everlasting damnation. Christ is now risen
from death, and does not die anymore, nor shall death prevail any
further against him: yet living in himself immortally, and without
all corruption, he is again sacrificed for us in this mystery of the
holy oblation—for there his body is received, there his flesh is
distributed for the salvation of the people; there his blood is not
now shed by the hands of infidels, but poured into the mouths of
the faithful. So let us meditate on what kind of sacrifice this is,
ordained for us, which for our absolution always represents the
Passion of the only Son of God.
But it is essential that, when we do these things, we should also,
by contrition of heart, sacrifice ourselves unto almighty God.
When we celebrate the mystery of our Lord’s passion, we ought
to imitate what we do then: for it will truly be a sacrifice for us to
God if we offer ourselves also to him in sacrifice. We must also be
careful, after we have given some time to prayer, to keep our
mind fixed on God (as much as we can by grace) so that no vain
thoughts make us to fall into dissolution, and no foolish mirth
enters into our hear. Otherwise the soul, by reason of such
transitory thoughts, might lose al it gained by former contrition.
~~ St. Gregory the Great, Dialogues, 4.58-59
“But who do you say that I am?” A frequent commentary
on this question in Sunday’s Gospel focuses on who we say
Jesus is, but what if we change that focus just a bit? What
if, instead of taking on the role of the disciples in this
exchange, we take on the role of Jesus? What would others
say about us if we asked them, “Who do you say that I
am?” Would they say “one who denies him or herself and
takes up his or her cross daily and follows Jesus?” If not,
why not? What must we change to make it so?
OUR COLLECTION
The collection for June 16th was $4763 .
We encourage you to enroll via the Parish Pay website
https://www.parishpay.com/ and click on the St. Joseph West
Village link. Use the paperless way to help our ministry.
Here is a breakdown of our collection from last Sunday’s collection.
Please do your best to be as generous as you can.
5:30 Mass $522
9:00 Mass $1641
11:30 Mass $1488
6:00 Mass $1112
We are offering for sale our exclusive cotton polo shirts with
embroidered coat of arms of the parish. We have the much
coveted size “small” once again, this time in light blue. The cost of the
irresistible shirts are $25 for one.
~~Pax Christi Metro New York
MASS UPDATE
Now that NYU classes have ended for the summer, the
5:30 Mass has resumed here, at St. Joseph’s Church, on
weekdays.
Please send your announcements and events to be included
in the bulletin to:
[email protected]
Taking Up Our Cross
Crosses are the great means which God employs to destroy self-love in us
and to increase and purify his love within us. While we, on our side, labor for
these two ends by the means which he has placed at our disposal.
The crosses finish the work; without them it would be imperfect.
The reason of this is clear. Self cannot kill itself’ the blow must be struck from
elsewhere, and self must rest passive in receiving it.
As long as I act I live; I shall mortify myself in vain, I shall not succeed in
dying spiritually by my own efforts.
God must do this for me. He must act within me, and the fire of his love must
consume the victim.
There are so many different kinds of crosses that it is impossible to
enumerate them all’ and the same crosses are capable of infinite variety.
They change according to different characters, different circumstances,
different degrees. Some are simply painful, some are humiliating, others
unite humiliation to pain.
Some assail a man in his worldly possessions, in those who are dear to him
in his health, in his honor, even in his life.
Others assail him in his spiritual interests, in that which touches his
conscience, in that which concerns his eternal salvation; and these are
undoubtedly the most frequent, the most destructive, and the most difficult to
bear….
FEAST DAYS, SCRIPTURES, CITATIONS & SPECIAL INTENTIONS
Saturday, June 22 Saint Paulinus of Nola; Saints John Fisher and Thomas More
2 Cor 12:1-10 Mt 6:24-34 (370)
12:10 PM Thomas John Manno
5:30 PM Ann Donati
Sunday, June 23
Zec 12:10-11; 13: 1 Gal 3:26-29 Lk 9:18-24 (96)
9:00 AM
11:30 AM Marilyn O’Connor
. 6:00 PM
Monday, June 24 The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Vigil: Jer 1:4-10/1 Pt 1:8-12 Lk 1:5-17 (586) Day: Is 49:1-6/Acts 13:22-26 Lk 1:57-66, 80 (587)
12:10 PM Jose Arias--living
5:30 PM
Tuesday, June 25
Gn 13:2, 5-18 Mt 7:6, 12-14 (372)
12:10 PM Carine Mondesir
5:30 PM Manus & Mary McGeady, 20th Avvniv.--living
Wednesday, June 26
Gn 15:1-12, 17-18 Mt 7:15-20 (373)
12:10 PM Carl M. Brocchi
5:30 PM
Thursday, June 27 Saint Cyril of Alexandria
Gn 16: 1-12, 15-16 or 16:6b-12, 15-16 Mt 7:21-29 (374)
12:10 PM
5:30 PM
Friday, June 28 Saint Irenaeus
Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 Mt 8:1-4 (375)
12:10 PM Jose Arias--living
5:30 PM
Saturday, June 29 Saints Peter and Paul
Vigil: Acts 3:1-10 Gal 1:11-20/Jn 21:15-19 (590) Day: Acts 12:1-11/2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18 Mt 16:1319 (591)
12:10 PM
5:30 PM
All have an effect upon us which inward mortification is unable to produce,
and without them we cannot expect to attain to an eminent degree of
holiness.
Father Jean-Nicolas Grou, S.J.
Father Grou was a French Jesuit priest and a beloved spiritual master.
The Cardinal’s Appeal
If you have not yet given to the Cardinal’s Appeal,
please take a white envelope which is available on the
tables in the Narthex and make a pledge today.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Father of the poor, support the oppressed. Come, love, who
is poured out into our hearts. We have nothing that can force you;
yet on that very account we are confident. Our hearts stand in
mysterious awe at your coming, because you are selfless and
gently, because you are something else than our heart. Yet this is
for us the firmest promise that you are nevertheless coming.
Come, therefore, come to us every day, again and again. We put
our trust in you. Where else could we trust? We love you because
you are love itself. In you we have God for our Father, because
you cry out in us, Abba, Father. We thank you, quickening Spirit,
Holy Spirit, we thank you for dwelling in us, for having willed to
be in us the seal of the living God, the seal that stamps us as his
property. Do not forsake us in the bitter struggle that is life; do
not forsake us at the end when everything else will abandon us.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus. ~~~~~Karl Rahner, S.J.
MONTHLY PARISH ACTIVITIES
10:00 AM
Sunday
Children’s Religious
Studies
Casserly
10:00 AM
Scripture Discussion
Library
2:30 PM
Roman Forum
Lectures
Casserly
Grad Law
Casserly/R
ectory
7:00 PM
6:30 PM
Monday
Centering Prayer
Church
Tuesday
Wednesday
6:30 PM
6:30 PM 1st /mo
7:00 PM
Korean Catholic
Students
Catholic
Center at
NYU
Thursday
Pax Christi Bd Mtg
Newman Club
PCMNY
7:00 PM
YATCH Club for
Young Adults
7:00PM
Scripture Study
6:00 PM 1st/mo
Novena/ Sacred Heart
Catholic
Center at
NYU
1st FloorBack
Parlor
Friday
Church
Saturday
10:00-3:00 PM
12:30 PM 1st/mo
Soup Kitchen
Blessing of the Sick
Casserly
Church
6:00 PM
Alcoholics Anonymous
Casserly