Mass and Liturgical Schedule for Lent and Easter 2023
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Ash Wednesday, February 22nd:
Masses at 9am, 11:30am, 7pm
Prayer Service, 4:00pm
Friday Stations of the Cross (With Music):
2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/24, 3/31, at 7pm
Adoration:
2/27, 3/20 at 7pm
Confession:
Saturdays at 1:00pm (except Holy Saturday April 8th)
Monday, March 27th at 7:00pm
Or by appointment
HOLY WEEK:
Passion Palm Sunday 4/2
Saturday, April 1st 5:00pm Mass: Solemn Blessing of Palms
Sunday, April 2nd: Masses at 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm
Palms distributed at all masses
Monday-Wednesday 4/3-4/5
Regular 11:30am Mass
Holy Thursday 4/6:
No morning mass
Solemn Mass of the Last Supper, 7:30pm
Night Prayer, 11:00pm
Good Friday 4/7
No mass
8:30am Morning Prayer
Service (Passion and Death), 3:00pm
Living Stations (Youth), 7:00pm
Holy Saturday 4/8
No morning mass
No Confession
8:30am Morning Prayer
8:00pm Solemn Mass of the Resurrection (Easter Vigil) with Adult Choir
Easter Sunday 4/9
Masses at 8:00am, 10:00am with Children’s Choir, 12:00pm
Deacon Tom's Homily for Sunday, January 15th
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“BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD.” THE people of Jesus’ day were looking for the Lion of God, not the Lamb of God. They wanted a fierce Messiah who would raise a powerful army to throw the Romans out of Palestine once and for all. They really wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and be this conquering Messiah, this conquering Lion! But a lamb?!
LET’S REFLECT FOR A FEW moments on what this image of a lamb tells us about ourselves and about God.
WE’RE RAISED TO BE STRONG, SELF-sufficient, and independent. When we get cancer, for example, we fight back heroically. But, as Christians, deep down we acknowledge: “I am not God in my own life.” We admit that we do need God’s help in our day-to-day struggles, especially in fighting off the temptations that try to bring us down. We do need a Shepherd to protect us and guide us.
AND COULD THIS IMAGE OF THE lamb be revealing something to us about God Himself? When Thomas asks Jesus to show the Apostles His Father, Jesus answers, “Thomas, whoever sees me, sees the Father.”
JESUS, THE GENTLE LAMB, SHOWS us how to love our enemies, how to turn the other cheek. He refuses to call fire down upon the Samaritans, and He forgives the woman caught in adultery.
COULD IT BE THAT THE ALMIGHTY God, the All-Powerful Creator of heaven and earth who is truly All-loving, All-merciful, All-forgiving, could it be that God, Our Father, Himself is much more like the gentle lamb than the fierce lion?
One of the most touching scenes in scripture occurs in the Book of Revelation when St. John’s vision of the future shows God the Father seated on His throne in heaven, holding a sacred scroll with seven seals. A mighty angel proclaims in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
ST. JOHN TELLS US THAT HE WEPT MANY tears because there was no one to read the scroll.” No one to bring about God’s final victory. But someone does step forward: a lamb, the triumphant Lamb of God, and receives the scroll from the Father’s hand.
ALL OF HEAVEN REJOICES AND sings a new hymn: “Worthy is the Lamb to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for You were slain. With Your Blood you purchased for God people from every race and nation.”
THE CONQUERING LAMB!!
EVERY DAY MAY WE FOLLOW THE Lamb of God and, like the two disciples, ask Him: “Lord, where do you live?” And every day Jesus will turn, look at us, and reply, “Come, and see.”
Music Ministry: Singers and Instrumentalists needed!
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The Music Ministry is seeking volunteers to help grow and enrich the parish’s musical activities.
The following Volunteers are needed:
Adult Choir: Sopranos and Altos, all voice parts
Youth Choir: Children ages 4+
Instrumentalists:
Percussion
Brass
Strings
Winds
ALL are welcome! Singers are not required to have formal training or experience.
To sign up, please contact Music Director Dr. Patricio Molina at patricio.molina@stachurchbloomfield.org.
Whether you sing or play, you’re needed at STA!
Call for Winter Clothing and Food Items
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The Beyond Cornerstone Service Ministry is collecting winter clothing for all ages. Please contact Joanne Hand or Ministry Leader Alicia at aliciavons@gmail.com if you have items to donate.
To support the ministry’s work with the Missionary Sisters of St Mother Theresa at St Augustine's soup kitchen as a volunteer, please consider attending their next meeting planning meeting Tuesday, January 2 at 7PM in the St. Peter's Room at the Parish Center or contact Alicia. You may also place a donation in an envelope marked SOUP KITCHEN in the collection basket or in the lock box at the parish center. In the memo line, designate that the donation is for the soup kitchen.
In addition, you may make donations of non-perishable food items to our Parish Food Pantry at any time to support local community members in need. These may be dropped off at the parish during open hours in designated areas.
Christmas Pageant 2022
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The youth of STA Parish have put on another wonderful Christmas pageant in anticipation of the birth of our Lord!
The children dressed as angels, shepherds, wise men, and Mary and Joseph and sang for the audience while acting out the story of Jesus’ birth.
Our Congratulations to the whole cast, and many thanks to Dr. Molina for organizing this event, another beloved tradition of our parish!
Deacon Tom's Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent
/I FIRST HEARD THE FOLLOWING story when Father Peter Funisti used it in one of his homilies. I think of it frequently; it really helps with the question: why did Jesus become one of us?
ONE WINTER EVENING, DURING A fierce blizzard, a farmer looked out his window at a flock of geese that had been grounded by the sleet and the strong, driving winds. The farmer quickly grabbed his coat, ran to the barn and threw the barn doors wide open. BUT THE HARDER THE FARMER tried to herd the geese into the shelter of the barn, the more the geese scattered. “If only I could become one of them myself,” the farmer thought, “I could lead them into the safety of the barn.”
IN OUR GOSPEL TODAY, THE Word of God, the Eternal Son of the Father, has come among us and is a fetus, growing within the womb of the Virgin Mary. The long-promised “God-with-us” has at last entered time and space, becoming one of us, to lead us all into the safety of heaven, to show us the way.
BUT WE MUST TRUST!
THE VIRGIN MARY SAID “Yes” to God’s Plan of Salvation; this young betrothed girl has agreed to become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. IN THOSE DAYS, BETROTHEL was much closer to our marriage. The couple were actually called each other’s “wife” and “husband.” And, to break off their engagement, a formal decree of divorce would be required.
AT THIS POINT, MARY IS extremely vulnerable. If Joseph decides NOT to go through with their marriage, Mary was liable to being stoned to death as an adulteress. But Mary trusted that God would take care of her.
IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, WE SEE Joseph’s dilemma of whether to marry Mary or not. He finally does believe the angel’s words, and trusts that God will somehow work everything out.
WE NEED TO TRUST THAT God cares for and cherishes each one of us just as much as He does Jesus and Mary and Joseph!
NO MATTER WHAT POINT WE ARE at in our lives: whether we’re still in school, or a young married couple raising children, a single person, or as we approach middle age with the aches and forgetfulness that surely will come, we need to trust in God, and especially during our journey through death.
JESUS CAME TO LEAD US INTO heaven and He shows us that there is indeed resurrection at the end of each of our own journeys, too.
TODAY, WE PRAY: “Lord Jesus, may we each attain to our future destiny which is union with You and the Father and the Holy Spirit in an ecstasy of joy for all eternity. Amen.
Advent Craft Night Recap
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At our recent Advent Craft Night, children of the parish were invited to come and create Advent wreaths and sing songs.
A wonderful time was had by all! A huge thank you to Kathy Monacelli and family for leading this fantastic event.
If you are interested in signing your child up for future children’s activities and programming, be sure that you are subscribed to the parish email list by clicking here to stay updated on all events.
