Index
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Saint Casimir Parish
MINISTRY
OF PRAISE
MARCH, 2017
St. Casimir Parish
Almighty God,
grant that with the help of St. Casimir’s intercession
we may serve you in holiness and justice.
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PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
INTENTIONS
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That persecuted Christians may
be supported by the prayers and material help of the whole Church.
(March
Papal intention)
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That during this holy season of Lent, the Church will be refashioned with
the promise and glory of Christ’s Transfiguration.
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That for those preparing to be received into the Church this Easter, Lent
will be a time of true education, prayer, and growth in holiness.
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That those who exercise political authority will recognize, respect, and
promote essential moral values.
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That respect for nature may grow with the awareness that all creation is
God’s work entrusted to human responsibility.
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That God bless
Father Bacevice and the Pastoral and Finance Councils in their efforts to
secure the future of St. Casimir Parish.
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That all parishioners recognize their responsibility to St. Casimir
Parish’s future through financial support, commitment to parish activities,
sharing ideas, and most importantly prayer.
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That the Lord will deliver those in need, especially the poor, the
hungry, the homeless, the sick, the unemployed, or those suffering from
addiction.
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That our Ministers of Praise be validated in their belief in the power
of prayer.
WHAT’S HAPPENING 
AT ST. CASIMIR PARISH?
March 3rd First
Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, 8:00 – 9:00am in Church
March 8th Evening
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,
6:00 – 9:00pm in Church
March 15th
Evening of Confessions: 5:00-8:00 pm, in Church
Lenten
Cluster Masses
at 7:00pm March 6th at St. Mary’s, March 13th at
Holy Redeemer’s,
March 20th at St. Jerome’s, March 27th at St.
Casimir’s
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SAINT FOR MARCH
SAINT JOSEPH
Husband of Mary
(1st Century)
March 19th
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“He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian
and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his
divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation
with complete fidelity until at last God called him,
saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your
Lord.’ “
(about St. Joseph by St.
Bernadine of Siena).
The
Gospels of Matthew and Luke present Joseph as the gentle but strong
protector of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. When Matthew traces Jesus’
ancestry, it is Joseph’s family that is given (Matthew 1;16),
indicating his relationship to the House of David. Luke’s story of
Mary identifies her as betrothed of a man named Joseph, of the house
and family of David (Luke 1:27). This “righteous man” does not know
of the miracle that has been worked in Mary, and so he is faced with
a dilemma when he realizes that the woman he loves and to whom he is
engaged is to bear a child (Matthew 1:16-25). Through a dream,
Joseph is informed of the tremendous event that has occurred, and
his protection of Mary is strengthened.
Joseph is
there for Jesus and Mary: at Jesus’ Birth, Circumcision, and
Presentation, at the escape from Herod, at the search when Jesus is
lost in Jerusalem, and at the return to Nazareth. After that we hear
no more of Joseph in the Scriptures, except for references to Jesus
as the “carpenter’s son.” It is thought that Joseph died before
Jesus began His public life.
Joseph is a descendant of David and the foster father of Jesus.
Therefore, he has a significant role in the establishment of God’s
kingdom. Scripture tells us about Joseph’s faith and trust in God;
he is a “righteous man,” which indicates that he was one who was
completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy
by opening himself totally to God. Let us try to imitate Joseph. In
Colossians 3:23-24 St. Paul writes: “Whatever you do, work at it
with your whole
being. Do it for the Lord rather than
for men, since you know full well that you will receive an
inheritance from him as your reward.”
Sources: IN HIS LIKENESS, by
Rev. Charles E. Yost, SCJ, STL; SAINT OF THE DAY, Leonard Foley,
O.F.M., Editor;
SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS, Loyola University Press. |
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THOUGHTS FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH |
Christ’s Transfiguration
#568
Christ’s
Transfiguration aims at strengthening the apostles’ faith in anticipation of his
Passion: the ascent onto the “high mountain” prepares for the ascent to Calvary.
Christ, Head of the Church, manifests what his Body contains and radiates in the
sacraments: “the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27; cf. St. Leo the Great, Sermon
51, 3; PL 54, 310c)
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REFLECTION |
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LIVING THE GOLDEN RULE
Servant of God Catherine de Hueck Doherty |
Lent relentlessly moves on and shows us who we
are, our true identity as Christians, what it means to be a Christian.
“Blessed are the poor; blessed are the merciful; blessed are those who
hunger for justice….” We recite the Beatitudes and each of them makes us
move a little further away from the sea of God’s mercy, because each demands
all of us….
The mercy that we must give to others includes that of standing up
for the poor, the lonely, those who have no education and cannot stand up
for themselves. It means to engage in what we call social justice on behalf
of our brother. That involves opening ourselves to being pushed around and
crucified. This always happens to those who stand up for others….
Are we going allow Lent to give us this immense gift of the Holy Spirit
called fortitude? It is a gift that is little spoken of and is neglected.
Fortitude is courage, the courage of our convictions. Christ said, “Who is
not with me is against me.”
Lent is here to remind us that the mercy of God is ours provided we
embrace his law of love; provided we realize that it’s going to hurt, and
hurt plenty, but that the very hurting will be a healing. That is the
paradox of God, that while you hurt, you heal. That’s true healing.
The sea of his mercy is open before us. Lent definitely and inexorably
leads us to it and makes us think about what it takes to swim in it. Lent
also reminds us that each of our hearts can be a sea of mercy and
forgiveness to others. This is a very great shortcut to God’s heart.
author: Servant of God Catherine de Hueck Doherty (died in 1985).
She was born in Russia and was the foundress of Madonna House in Combermere,
Canada.
Source: MAGNIFICAT, March 13, 2014, p. 17
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Lietuvi