Please note the special schedule of Masses for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God on Sunday, January 1st, 2017. This solemnity is a holy day of obligation and falls on Sunday this season.
– Vigil Mass, December 31st, 2016, at 5:30 pm
– Solemnity Masses, January 1st, 2017, at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and 12:00 pm
*There will be no 6:00 pm Mass.
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel…” Such are the words of one of our most popular of Advent songs. The word “Emmanuel” comes from the Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל, which literally means “God with us.” There is something about the title and the song that bespeaks of us remaining in place and God coming to us. And that is true. Christmas is a celebration that God so loved the world he sent his only Son to be with us and become one of us in all things. In our Christmas celebrations, we will gather and honor the Christ Child in the manger, celebrating this historical event of more than 2000 years ago.
The poet Jessica Powers (1963) wrote a poem describing how she sought, but did not find, the Child upon the straw. Only the ox and the donkey were there. Feeling an inner emptiness, she went out and found the Child in the wide and warm world of everywhere, wherever a heart was beating. It was then that she returned and was able to fully experience the Christ Child in Bethlehem, knowing the depth of the gift we have been given.
May you already know the Christ in the “wide and warm world,” so that this Christmas you may more clearly recognize the Christmas Child in the manger. May you deeply and profoundly give thanks to “God with us,” Emmanuel.
Save the Date! Our 5th Annual Sacred Heart Gala will be on Saturday, February 25th.
In addition to the wonderful dinner and dancing, we will also be hosting a Silent Auction. If you have a business and would like to donate an item to our silent auction, please bring your donation to the Sacred Heart Gift & Book Store during normal business hours. Or if you know a business or establishment that you frequent often, we would welcome their donation too.
Donation forms can be downloaded here. Please drop off all donations no later than Saturday, February 4th.
If you have any questions, please contact our Event Planning Committee member, Angie Ducker. Thank you in advance!
“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5)
May the blessing of God be with you and your family on this holiday.
Fr. George
The 2016 elections are upon us. Will our choices be the fruit of the lifelong moral reflection, or will it be more influenced by the current tides and winds of political hurricanes? What we can offer for your consideration is the guidance of the US Bishops and some reflections from the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province on key moral issues we face as an electorate. Take some time this week and consider these reflections as part of your ongoing formation of the moral conscience. Continue reading Forming Moral Conscience
To belong to a parish community, to be a people of faith, means that we are also called to share our time and our talents. How do you discern how God is calling you to bring forward your gifts? Discernment is a word Christians often use instead of “making a decision” or “picking a choice,” although it means more than that. Discerning something means taking the ideas, the options, and the choices to prayer in order to ask God where and how He is leading you.
God calls each one of us to a work of love that fills your life with purpose and joy. Discerning your charisms can help you discover that call. Charisms are spiritual gifts that are given to us to be given away, to be used and, in the using are a sign of God’s loving presence in the world. Discerning your gifts can be done in “six easy steps.”
Step #1: Pray for Guidance
The discernment process involves listening for God’s direction and guidance for our lives. In order to hear Him, we need to be tuned into His voice through prayer, Scripture, and the Sacraments. The New Testament describes charisms in 1 Cor 12 and Romans 12 that include service, wisdom, knowledge, teaching, administration, helping, and pastoring. This all points to the breadth of talents and abilities needed to build and be the Kingdom of God in our time and place. Praying for God’s guidance will help you to see more clearly your gifts, talents, interests, and the, “Hey, I might like to try that,” opportunities available. In addition, understanding your charisms can help you simplify your life and avoid burnout. If you know your gifts, it becomes easier to say, “no” when people ask you for things that you don’t really have to give. And because it is unusually energizing and fulfilling to exercise a charism, you are much less likely to burn out if you are working in your area of giftedness.
Step #2: List Your Options
Now that you have taken it all into prayer, make a list of your options, so that you can survey the choices in front of you. Our bulletin for our Mass of Belonging on October 4th is not going to be our regular “bulletin,” but rather a worship aid and a stewardship magazine that lists the ministries and groups that we have at Sacred Heart. That list will be a good place to start, but you may discover in your discernment process a call to start a new ministry that we don’t offer.
Step #3: Ask Questions
Start examining the options. You can continue to take it all into prayer. The answers to these questions will (hopefully) start pointing you in some direction. We’re discerning through these options along with God, so don’t blaze through the questions on your own. Take them to prayer, and ask God what He thinks. Ask Him to help you answer these questions. Be with Him in silence, read scripture, give Him a chance to talk. You can start with the questions below, and ask others as they present themselves. Also, consider asking a friend who knows you well to help you identify your gifts. Some questions to get you started:
– What are the needs of the church and its current ministries?
– Do I feel drawn to any of the ministries more than others?
– Do I see a gap in ministries offered?
Step #4: Next Action Steps
For the choices that remain, what are the next steps you would take to explore these options? What actions can you take to check them out? As we mentioned, we will have four ministry fairs in the weeks following the Mass of Belonging. At each fair, there will be people that can help answer any questions you may have and give you some background on the ministry you may be interested in. Continue to pray.
Step #5: Choose & Trust
Hopefully, an option has risen to the top. You don’t have to be 110% convinced that this is exactly the will of God and the absolute best decision you’ll ever make. As long as you’re spending time in prayer, remaining close to the Sacraments, and following God’s peace, you are on the right path. Now make your choice, and trust in God.
Step #6: Just Do It…And Learn
Once you have chosen, start and give it a while. Continue to reflect upon your involvement in ministry in prayer and in the Sacraments. The entire process will help you to deepen your faith, see more clearly, and grow ever closer to God. And then see Step 1. The process never really ends.
How will you get involved? Visit our Ministry page to explore all of your options to give of your time and talent to the larger parish community. We would love to have you.
Next Tuesday, October 4th, marks the patronal feast day of Franciscans across the globe – the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. It is a time when Franciscan communities come together to remember the passing of Francis from this world to the next, to celebrate his life and legacy in Masses and gatherings, and to hold events that are notably Franciscan. We hope you can join us at one of the upcoming events below.
Sunday, October 2nd
On Sunday, October 2nd, the Franciscan friars will hold the annual Blessing of the Animals. Bring your beloved pets and furry friends to the North Campus for a blessing and to share in God’s blessing of all of creation.
Sacred Heart North Campus (3515 N. Florida Ave.)
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Our Fall Festival is this Sunday! Bring a dish to share and come have fun with us at the North Campus from 11:30 am – 3:00 pm. We’ll have food, games, and activities for the whole family.
Can You Volunteer?
From setting up to taking down, from hospitality to decorating, we need lots of hands to make our Fall Festival a success. If you can lend a helping hand, sign up here.
Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us. It is a simple but rich way to grow in intimacy and love of God.
Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer – verbal, mental, or affective prayer – into a receptive prayer of resting in God.
Following the teaching of Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O, a Trappist monk who introduced centering/contemplative prayer into the Catholic world, Sacred Heart will offer a 4-week session on learning and practicing centering prayer together. Class dates and times are listed below. We hope you will join us!
The friars here at Sacred Heart are members of The Holy Name of Jesus Province. Our Provincial Minister, Fr. Kevin Mullen OFM, has written a wonderful open letter in the light of this past 10 days of violence across the globe and so close to home here in the United States. Please take a moment to read, reflect, and pray about Fr. Kevin’s message.
Dear Brothers,
Sad to say that each day seems to be filled with more and more stories which indicate the spread of violence increasing on global, national, and local levels. This blanket of violence seems to be like a plague that knows no boundaries. In just the past week or so, we are repulsed to learn about the senseless loss of life in Istanbul, Dhaka, Baghdad, Orlando, Falcon Heights (Minnesota), Baton Rouge, and Dallas. People have been targeted and killed because of their religion, ethnicity, race, sexuality, and profession. The perpetrators of these killings seem to be filled with ignorance, fear, and hatred. They tragically disregard the intrinsic value of life and commit crimes against God and humanity.
We, Franciscan friars, must recognize that the current context of our world has a profound impact upon the way we choose to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the 21st century. Now more than ever, we must choose peace and we must witness to the value of non-violence. We must see ourselves first and foremost as instruments of peace, healing, and reconciliation. We are called to be bridge-builders. We enter into the midst of the ignorance, fear, and hatred, and we offer a different response – not an “eye-for-an eye” or a “get even” type of response, but rather an alternate approach that walks in the midst of suffering, injustice, pain and death and calls out in a non-violent voice for understanding, dialogue, healing, justice, mercy and peaceful resolutions.
As friars, our attitudes, words, and actions express our deeply held convictions. Each friar must resolve to intensify his relationship with God through individual and communal prayer, especially though the celebration of the Eucharist. As members of local fraternities-in-mission we must live at peace with one another in order to give credible witness to the people we serve. In our work and in our ministries, we must always promote peace, harmony, and the cause of justice. Our words should be expressed in ways that help to build-up and bring people together as opposed to the words – expressed all too frequently in these times – that tear down and cause disruption and divisions.
Fifty-three years ago within our country when basic human and civil rights were being denied to African-Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. writing from his prison cell in Birmingham, Alabama, reminded people of some fundamental truths. Dr. King wrote, “I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”
His words challenged and united people then, and they can hopefully do the same for us now. We must remember we are all sisters and brothers.
