Remember and Pray
Monday, January 22 is the forty seventh anniversary of the Supreme Court Decision Roe v. Wade which legalized the tragedy of abortion in this country. The Catholic Church in the United States has designated this day as a “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn.” Please pray for, work for, and support Pro-Life causes.
Catholic Ministries Appeal CMA
Today at Mass, you have heard the Archbishop’s invitation to become prayerfully active in pro-life, human rights, and social justice by impacting the situation and confronting the needs. We can do this by participation in the Catholic Ministries Appeal. As a former financial officer of the Archdiocese who still likes to review the audited financial statement each year, I can assure you that CMA monies are distributed as specified and as reported. There are so many charitable organizations out there today that tug at the heartstrings, but have not mastered the balance sheet. Because CMA is our local Archdiocesan Appeal, we can trust in its honesty and accuracy. Please join me in making CMA one of the charities you always support.
Saint Vincent DePaul Society
For the past two years, St. Ann and Sacred Heart have combined their efforts into one St. Vincent DePaul Society serving both parishes in the Pastoral Region. The tradition at Sacred Heart has been to have SVDP people collect at the doors on the fifth Sunday of any month containing five Sundays. St. Ann has continued to include a SVDP envelope in their donation envelopes, but has not solicited donations at the doors. We missed the fifth Sunday in December and so will attempt to make it up by soliciting donations for the Pastoral Region St. Vincent DePaul On Sunday January 28, 2018. Please also consider whether you might be interested in joining the SVDP ministry. We have many husband and wife couples from Sacred Heart as well as some individuals. We only have one representative from St. Ann. Please prayerfully consider this worthy ministry.
Virtus Training for the Decree on Child Protection
Every adult working with children in the context of the Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati MUST go through the Virtus training session and be approved by the Archdiocese to be in contact with children. I am in the process of writing to each of the heads of the various groups in the parish asking them to verify that all members in their group who are in contact in anyway with children are Virtus approved. As pastor, it is my responsibility to see to it that every group complies. I ask all employees and volunteers to work with their leaders to be sure no one “slips through the cracks.”
Reflection on Scripture
A commitment to do what the Lord wants! That’s what all three scriptures address this Sunday. Jonah, rebellious at first, comes around to doing what the Lord wants. And it works. Mark relates the story of Jesus call to Simon, Andrew, James, and John. All is abandoned in favor of following Jesus. St. Paul tells us that the time is short. We are to get busy acting and thinking as one who is on the Lord’s journey. All these scriptures encourage us to follow the Lord’s instructions and “do it the Lord’s way.”
If you are plowing with a team of horses, both horses have to pull together. Sometimes we act like mules, not horses. Submission to doing what the Lord wants is the beginning of freedom and the only path to fulfillment. Let’s make sure we are always playing for the team and pulling for the team.
Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dt 18:15-20
1Cor 7:32-35
Mk 1:21-28
Theme: True authority means leading God’s way!