Bulletin

Bulletin – November 08, 2009 (PDF)

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 8, 2009

Dear Friends,

The problem of health, the problem of money, the problem of work are all serious and people face these each day. The problem of life though, when do we really take seriously the problem of life? Life is made up of all these things, but life itself, when do we think about that? The Church always points us to this question: what is life, what am I? With life’s problems what is the first and most human place to start? It is with what I am before problem solving. The readings today tell us of two old women. The old woman in the Old Testament has the problem of no food. The old woman in the gospel has no money left. Yet for both they face life with something more than food or money. They had faith.

Problems loom over us but we are more than our problems. What is at stake is our “I”. In the end we can lose everything, or even have everything, but what we are, what we are left with is our “I” – ourselves. This is what matters. All the things we have to deal with in life make us protagonists, like characters in a story.  The circumstances put our lives, our freedom in play. We are on center stage. How do we find ourselves? Are we lost, confused, frightened? Or do we find ourselves certain that we belong to Another? This is crucial. (More crucial than the school, or money or health). Are we Christian or not? To be Christian means we live aware that there is Another who is the actor, a presence in our lives. No, it means more than that, it means we recognize we belong to Him. Everything can be taken away, my possession, my good name, my health. But then what am I? Am I nothing? Reason, that is, our desire to understand everything leads us to acknowledging that everything comes from something. This is the first step. Faith tells us it is a You and Person, Jesus Christ who is the origin and fulfillment of everything, even me! When I ask, “who am I?” I respond by saying, “I am You Who made me!” The old woman in the gospel giving all her money to the treasury is living this. She has faith and gives all she had because she knows that her life does not depend on money. It depends solely on God. She has God no matter what. In fact it is more important to let go of everything just to affirm the greatest thing.

This is why I proposed the pilgrimage last week. Along the way we were helped to see that He makes us one and He walks with us. As we prayed the Memorare, leaders implored us “Remember (O most Gracious Virgin Mary)….,  Remember…Remember.” The memory that that we are not alone, that He makes us, gives us hope and courage. We remember we are His. “He made us and we belong to Him”. This is how we walk through life and this is how we see miracles. The first and only problem in life is this: do I know who I am? Everything else vanishes in time. My “I” is forever. “I” am You who made me. We trust. We live

Fr. Lee

Parish and Community News

Knights of Columbus- Chicken dinner today, Sunday, November 8th at the K of C Hall in  Ridge, noon till 5:00pm. Carryout dinners and home baked items also available.

Liturgy Meeting- Thursday, November 12th at 7:00pm in the sacristy.

The St. Michael’s School THANKS-A-MILLION CAMPAIGN is underway! After just 3 short weeks, SMS has raised $44,187.00 in cash in addition to $193,000.00 in pledges. Your help is still needed to reach our goal of 1000 people donating $1000 for the next five years!  For more information, Speak with Fr. Lee or Lila Hofmeister at the school 301-872-5454 or go to www. Saint-Michaels-School.org

THANKS A MILLION!

St. Michael’s School Fall Festival.  St. Michael’s School Fall Festival is scheduled Sunday, November 22, 2009 from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm at St. Michael’s School in Ridge, MD.  The All-You-Can-Eat Dinner is catered by Paul Thompson of Thompson’s Seafood and includes Stuffed Ham, Fried Oysters, and Turkey.  Professional crafters, home businesses, and artisans will have their items on display and on sale.  Flowers will be on sale and will be available for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.  Other activities include the Ladies of Charity Bake Sale, a Craft Room, Raffles, and Games for the Children!  The ticket prices for the Dinner are $23 for Adults, $11.50 for Children 6 to 10, and FREE for Children 5 and under.  Carry-outs are available for $21.  All proceeds go to support St. Michael’s School!  For tickets, please contact either Shirley Kovich at 301-872-4321 (St. Michael’s Rectory) or 301-872-5771, Ada Spelz at 301-862-4600 (St. Cecilia’s Rectory) or 301-872-4129 (home); or. Kay Fenhagen at 301-872-5381.  Tickets will also be sold after all Masses   Nov. 7, 8 and Nov. 14, 15.

Pizza Social-Sponsored by our 8th grade students, Friday, November 13th, 5:00 -7:30pm in the gym.

Please Pray for the Sick

Ernie Bean                 Rebecca Lindbert           Beth McCoy             Carl Barnes            Matt Blair

Scott Raley                Jimmy Tilton                 Bertille Cooper        Peaches Fallon     Doris Shreve

Angela Illiano            Janice Cheseldine           Lawrence Potter       Mary C. Guy         Mary Agnes Hill

Ellen Hibble               Pam Bohmann                               Laura Clements       Casey Potter         Ruby Adkinson

Gerald Adkinson       Robert Cantor               Connie Wright          Gwen Novotny    John Aquilino

Betty Coffman          Evelyn Norris               Siobhan Kayser        Francis Potter       George Ridgell

Dan Moran                Mike Wiley                      Bette Cramer            Ralph Houser       Frances Iacoboni         Marian Ann Foote          

Offertory November 1st $ 3484

Weekend Ministries November 14 / 15                                             Save our School Fund         2520

SM Archangel Fund         26,567

Altar Committee D. Wood, V. Buckner & A. Trossbach

Mass Time               5:30pm                 8:15am                  10:30am

Lector A. Ridgell             B. Gast                  S. Dobson

Mass A. Bishop             J. Kellam               S. Dobson

Eucharistic Ministers S. Cassidy            S. Kayser              D. Stillwell

M. DeLuca           B. Gast                  C. Miller

A. bishop                                             H. Miller

Altar Servers C. DeLuca            S. Kayser              T. Dameron

C. Turner              K. Kayser              A. Dameron

S. Turner              M. Pajak               I. Thompson

Mass Intentions   November 9 – 15                                                500 Winners for November:

Mon       9:00am  Holy Souls                                                           $200: Keith Stone:  $100: Francis Hewitt

Fri           9:00am  Fr. Thomas Sheehan                                            $100: Rita Trossbach. $50: Peggy Raley

Sat          5:30pm  Holy Souls                                                             $50:  B.J. Gray

Sun         8:15am  Michael Joy

Sun       10:30am SM Parishioners

God Bless America

The land of the free because of the brave

Thank a Veteran