Memo from Msgr. Raun - Sunday, March 29th, 2020
My dear family in Christ,
A blessed Lord's Day - the 5th Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Passiontide, when we focus upon our Lord's sufferings and Death.
This is my sermon outline for today. I want to share it with you, encouraging you to print it up and meditate this week on these powerful Bible quotes that teach us how to overcome worry and anxiety!
GOD DOESN’T WANT ME WORRYING ABOUT ANYTHING
“Don’t worry about anything! Instead, pray about everything.” Philippians 4:6a
1. WORRY IS UNREASONABLE
“Do not worry about your life — what you’ll eat or drink, and don’t worry about your body, or what you’ll wear. Your life is far more important than clothes.” Matthew 6:25
2. WORRY IS UNNATURAL
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
“And why worry about your clothes? Look at the field lilies! They don’t worry about theirs. Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully as they.” Matthew 6:28-29
3. WORRY IS UNHELPFUL
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
“Worry weighs us down.” Proverbs 12:25a
4. WORRY IS UNNECESSARY
“If God cares so wonderfully even for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more
surely care for you?” Matthew 6:30
5. WORRY IS UNBELIEF
“People who don’t know God and the way He works — they worry over these things.” Matthew 6:32a
Jesus: “Don’t be worried! Believe in God and believe in me!” John 14:1
1. EVERYDAY ASK HIM TO BE MY SHEPHERD!
Jesus: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me... and I lay down my life for my sheep.” John 10:14-15
“Come save us and bless us Lord! Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms.” Psalm 28:9
2. GIVE HIM FIRST PLACE IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE
“Your Heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what you need, and He will give you what you need IF you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to.” Matthew 6:32-33
3. RELAX & GIVE HIM MY WORRIES IN PRAYER
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God about all your needs and thank him for all he’s done/ for you. If you do this things, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” Philippians 4:6-7
4. TRUST HIM FOR ONE DAY AT A TIME!
“Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (NCV)
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
“Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.
“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. Isaiah 58:7-11
THE HOLY MASS is being offered by Fr. McKee and me each day at 9 am. You can watch it on the website any time during the day. I am offering the Holy Mass each day for the intentions of our fellow-parishioners. Unite yourself in your heart to the divine mystery of the Holy Mass. Sorry for any technical glitches. We are doing this off my I-Pad !
"I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can’t leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?’
Do what the catechism says. It’s very clear. If you can't go to a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’
You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the Catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand."THE CHURCH is open from 7 am to 7 pm. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is present in the Tabernacle. Our parish staff is disinfecting the church three times a day.
CARE KITS: Taking essential household goods and food to those who have no way to leave their house: If you would like to volunteer for Care Kits, please email your name, phone number, and email address to frank.smith@stanm.org (Please: no one over 60 or with serious health problems should volunteer for this ministry.
If you need a Care Kit, please call the parish Office at 892-1511. Please give this number to people you know who might need a Care Kit.THE PARISH OFFICE and the ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY are open, but not for walk-in traffic. Please call on the telephone first.YOUR TITHING: Friends, for those of you who are able to support the parish, we are really going to need your tithes and offerings at this time. The best way to do this is on-line: Go to the parish website stanm.org and click on the "Three Ways To Give" button. You can use your credit card or checking account, and you can set it up for a one-time gift or a reoccurring donation. If you can't do that, mail it to the parish office.
In all of this let us in a dark world be bright lights of Christian patience, service to others, cheerfulness, and Christ-like love.How do we share the Gospel at this time? Simple - tell people, especially our fellow parishioners, to go to our website, stanm.org, and sign up for our email list and to download the parish app. Also, share this information with those who do not have access to the internet!
While I contemplate,with great love and tender pity,Your five most precious wounds,pondering over them within meand calling to mind the words which David,Your prophet, said to You, my Jesus:
"They have pierced My hands and My feet,they have numbered all My bones."
Amen.
A blessed Lord's Day - the 5th Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Passiontide, when we focus upon our Lord's sufferings and Death.
This is my sermon outline for today. I want to share it with you, encouraging you to print it up and meditate this week on these powerful Bible quotes that teach us how to overcome worry and anxiety!
LETTING GOD MEET MY NEEDS
GOD DOESN’T WANT ME WORRYING ABOUT ANYTHING
“Don’t worry about anything! Instead, pray about everything.” Philippians 4:6a
WHY DOES GOD TELL ME NOT TO WORRY?
(Matthew 6:25-34)
1. WORRY IS UNREASONABLE
“Do not worry about your life — what you’ll eat or drink, and don’t worry about your body, or what you’ll wear. Your life is far more important than clothes.” Matthew 6:25
2. WORRY IS UNNATURAL
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
“And why worry about your clothes? Look at the field lilies! They don’t worry about theirs. Yet King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautifully as they.” Matthew 6:28-29
3. WORRY IS UNHELPFUL
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Matthew 6:27
“Worry weighs us down.” Proverbs 12:25a
4. WORRY IS UNNECESSARY
“If God cares so wonderfully even for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more
surely care for you?” Matthew 6:30
5. WORRY IS UNBELIEF
“People who don’t know God and the way He works — they worry over these things.” Matthew 6:32a
Jesus: “Don’t be worried! Believe in God and believe in me!” John 14:1
HOW DO I TRUST JESUS TO MEET MY NEEDS?
1. EVERYDAY ASK HIM TO BE MY SHEPHERD!
Jesus: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me... and I lay down my life for my sheep.” John 10:14-15
“Come save us and bless us Lord! Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms.” Psalm 28:9
2. GIVE HIM FIRST PLACE IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE
“Your Heavenly Father already knows perfectly well what you need, and He will give you what you need IF you give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to.” Matthew 6:32-33
3. RELAX & GIVE HIM MY WORRIES IN PRAYER
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God about all your needs and thank him for all he’s done/ for you. If you do this things, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” Philippians 4:6-7
4. TRUST HIM FOR ONE DAY AT A TIME!
“Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (NCV)
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Matthew 6:34
“Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.
“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. Isaiah 58:7-11
THE HOLY MASS is being offered by Fr. McKee and me each day at 9 am. You can watch it on the website any time during the day. I am offering the Holy Mass each day for the intentions of our fellow-parishioners. Unite yourself in your heart to the divine mystery of the Holy Mass. Sorry for any technical glitches. We are doing this off my I-Pad !
HOLY HOUR is being aired every night on our website and app at 6 pm from the rectory chapel, being lead by Fr. McKee. Join in adoring the Holy Eucharist, and praying the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
CONFESSIONS are being heard each evening, Monday through Saturday, in the church at 5:30 pm. The priest will remain until the last person in line has confessed. Friends, what this means is that if you want to go to Confession, show up at 5:30 pm. The priest will hear the confessions of those people in line. He will then go home. If you can never make it at 5:30 pm, give a call to the parish office and we can set up a special time for you.
We are using the Adoration Chapel for Confessions. This is working out very well. Please follow the directions on the sign.
Also, remember what the Pope said a few days ago:
"I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can’t leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?’
Do what the catechism says. It’s very clear. If you can't go to a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’
You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the Catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand."
HOLY WATER AND BLESSED SALT are available in the back of the church. These are two very powerful sacramentals that we can use to protect ourselves and our homes. Traditionally we sprinkle our homes with the holy water, and sprinkle the blessed salt around our property. Please take what you need (bring your own container for the holy water. The blessed salt is pre-packaged.
The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and 24 Hour Adoration has been suspended for the duration of the emergency. CARE CALL: Reaching out to our parish family with phone calls of concern and prayer. If you would like to volunteer for this, please email your name, phone number, and email address to viana.sikes@stanm.org
CARE KITS: Taking essential household goods and food to those who have no way to leave their house: If you would like to volunteer for Care Kits, please email your name, phone number, and email address to frank.smith@stanm.org (Please: no one over 60 or with serious health problems should volunteer for this ministry.
If you need a Care Kit, please call the parish Office at 892-1511. Please give this number to people you know who might need a Care Kit.THE PARISH OFFICE and the ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY are open, but not for walk-in traffic. Please call on the telephone first.
Father Young is 95% better, and was able to help with confessions last night.. Fr. McKee is fine, but will be in self-isolation. Everyone else is fine.
CHATTING WITH THE PASTOR: We thought that it might be good to do a weekly 20 minute video of me answering questions you may have at this time. If there is interest, I'm happy to do it. Please email any questions you may have to Deacon Ed at ed.leyba@stanm.org. We will let you know when the video will air.
WONDERFUL FREE PRAYER RESOURCES :
The Magnificat: the prayers and readings of daily Mass, and a simplified form of Morning and Evening Prayer : https://us.magnificat.net/free
Live-Streamed Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament : from the chapel of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit: http://savior.org/Prayer, dear friends, prayer!
Remember, Christians are to set the best example in following the directions of our civil and public health officials.In all of this let us in a dark world be bright lights of Christian patience, service to others, cheerfulness, and Christ-like love.How do we share the Gospel at this time? Simple - tell people, especially our fellow parishioners, to go to our website, stanm.org, and sign up for our email list and to download the parish app. Also, share this information with those who do not have access to the internet!
Our Prayer for the Day - as we start the Season of the Passion :
A Prayer before a Crucifix
Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesuswhile before Your face I humbly kneel and,with burning soul,pray and beseech Youto fix deep in my heart lively sentimentsof faith, hope, and charity;true contrition for my sins,and a firm purpose of amendment.While I contemplate,with great love and tender pity,Your five most precious wounds,pondering over them within meand calling to mind the words which David,Your prophet, said to You, my Jesus:
"They have pierced My hands and My feet,they have numbered all My bones."
Amen.
I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Msgr. Doug Raun
Posted in Daily Memo from Msgr. Raun
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