When the time comes to start preparing for Christmas (and we all know that time seems to come earlier and earlier), one thing that many people have to decide is WHO they will give gifts to and then WHAT they will give to the recipients of their love and generosity. Well in the case of the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal which starts THIS WEEKEND, thankfully we don't have to decide WHO will be the recipients of our gifts, nor do we have to ponder WHAT we will give to our brothers and sisters who are in need -- only how much we want to pledge and or give monetarily for this year. The WHO is a wide range of people from our young people in Catholic Schools whose parents can't pay the full tuition, to our seminarians who are in formation to become our priests of tomorrow, to the poor who are helped through Catholic Charities, to our youth in religious education programs throughout our state, to our college-aged students who need opportunities for faith formation and fellowship, to the countless people who will benefit from renovations to St. John's Center where many overnight retreats and meetings take place, to those who work in our diocesan offices and who provide needed and helpful services to the bishop and all our parishes in Arkansas. In some ways, the list of recipients is overwhelming and thus they need an overwhelming response which means a generous response from EVERY Catholic or Catholic family is asked to give something. Even if the goal for the diocese is met (two million dollars) which sadly it never has, some of these ministries actually need more than what has been allotted for them to receive through the Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal. In reality, some of the leaders of these ministries will probably have to figure out how to make it without the necessary dollars to help all those who are in need and who can't fully (or even partly) provide for themselves.
Please use the envelope you were given this weekend before Mass and prayerfully decide what you will give or pledge to give, and send it off in the mail. I want to thank ALL OF YOU who have helped make our parish one of the leaders in responding to this appeal. Those who haven't joined us before, I ask you to do so no matter how much you give!
Please use the envelope you were given this weekend before Mass and prayerfully decide what you will give or pledge to give, and send it off in the mail. I want to thank ALL OF YOU who have helped make our parish one of the leaders in responding to this appeal. Those who haven't joined us before, I ask you to do so no matter how much you give!
Since a Holy Hour in the Sacred Heart Perpetual Adoration Chapel is a daily part of my life, I can't help but think about this wonderful opportunity that I and our parishioners have to be close to and grow in the Lord through time spent with Him. No matter what is happening or is about to happen in my life, I find the Lord bringing me His peace and the confidence of receiving His love and mercy while I am with Him wherever I go.
I think it is important for you to hear what a blessing the Chapel and the time I spend in the Chapel is to me, and perhaps we can ask other Adorers to give their own testimony for you to read in the bulletin or on our website in the future. It is also important that we regularly invite those of you who are not once-a-week, hourly Adorers to join us in this spiritual activity, so that you can experience more blessings in your life as a result of this special time with the Lord.
It is a reality that in the now FIVE PLUS YEARS we have had Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, we have had quite a few who have been committed as a regular or substitute the whole five years. THANKS BE TO GOD for you! We, sadly, have also had and will continue to have, people who drop out for a variety of reasons (i.e., sickness, relocation, death) and we need new people joining our ranks on a continual basis.
Please consider joining us in Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and ask a fellow parishioner who is doing this ministry why they do it. Also, I ask our current Adorers to take the initiative to encourage some of your friends in the parish to join us as an Adorer.
Please read the bulletin to see where we have hours that need to be covered and call Tom Donnelly (915-0880) to get more information and/or to sign up. If you have a time of the week and day that works best for you, commit to that time and join someone who is already present at that time (who, hopefully, could cover the hour if you are sick or have to be out of town).
There's a song that goes "Jesus we adore You, lay our live before You, how we love You." Please join the chorus of people in our parish who hopefully echo this in their lives as Adorers of Jesus in our beautiful Eucharistic Chapel!
I think it is important for you to hear what a blessing the Chapel and the time I spend in the Chapel is to me, and perhaps we can ask other Adorers to give their own testimony for you to read in the bulletin or on our website in the future. It is also important that we regularly invite those of you who are not once-a-week, hourly Adorers to join us in this spiritual activity, so that you can experience more blessings in your life as a result of this special time with the Lord.
It is a reality that in the now FIVE PLUS YEARS we have had Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, we have had quite a few who have been committed as a regular or substitute the whole five years. THANKS BE TO GOD for you! We, sadly, have also had and will continue to have, people who drop out for a variety of reasons (i.e., sickness, relocation, death) and we need new people joining our ranks on a continual basis.
Please consider joining us in Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and ask a fellow parishioner who is doing this ministry why they do it. Also, I ask our current Adorers to take the initiative to encourage some of your friends in the parish to join us as an Adorer.
Please read the bulletin to see where we have hours that need to be covered and call Tom Donnelly (915-0880) to get more information and/or to sign up. If you have a time of the week and day that works best for you, commit to that time and join someone who is already present at that time (who, hopefully, could cover the hour if you are sick or have to be out of town).
There's a song that goes "Jesus we adore You, lay our live before You, how we love You." Please join the chorus of people in our parish who hopefully echo this in their lives as Adorers of Jesus in our beautiful Eucharistic Chapel!
It was the first time I had participated in a dedication Mass at a new Catholic Church (Blessed Sacrament in Jonosboro, AR) last Sunday. I could spend an entire pastor's column describing the beautiful Mass and the consecration of the altar (as the center of the liturgy). Instead, I want to comment about what I saw when I first walked into the new church.
I was impressed by the large gathering area, the narthex, that is so much larger than the small area of the previous Blessed Sacrament Church. Such a large area before one walks into the body of the church speaks of the importance of the "Faithful" connecting in fellowship before and/or after Mass is celebrated. We may come to the church individually (or as a family) for Mass, but it is good and important that we grow in our relationship with brothers and sisters in the Lord along with growing in our relationship with the Lord once we go into the body of the CHurch in our quiet time before Mass and together with others during Mass. I must say, I was taken back when I first walked into the "body of the church" and heard so many people talking to one another. I then realized that since the church was being dedicated at the upcoming Mass, the tabernacle was empty and would only be occupied by the Lord after Communion had been distributed. Since in almost every instance (at least in Arkansas), the tabernacle contains the Eucharist when we walk into church (except on Holy Thursday evening and Good Friday), it is a good thing to be reminded that the "House of God" which is the body of the church is a "house of prayer" and should be respected when we are in it by silence or quiet talk if we need to say something to someone close to us. The narthex or outside (if the weather allows it) is the place that we can, and I say SHOULD visit with our brothers and sisters in the Lord, both those we know and visitors in our midst.
PLEASE remember this when you enter and while you are in the body of this or any Catholic Church and recognize the reality that our time in church is primarily to deepen our relationship with the Lord through private prayer and public worship.
I was impressed by the large gathering area, the narthex, that is so much larger than the small area of the previous Blessed Sacrament Church. Such a large area before one walks into the body of the church speaks of the importance of the "Faithful" connecting in fellowship before and/or after Mass is celebrated. We may come to the church individually (or as a family) for Mass, but it is good and important that we grow in our relationship with brothers and sisters in the Lord along with growing in our relationship with the Lord once we go into the body of the CHurch in our quiet time before Mass and together with others during Mass. I must say, I was taken back when I first walked into the "body of the church" and heard so many people talking to one another. I then realized that since the church was being dedicated at the upcoming Mass, the tabernacle was empty and would only be occupied by the Lord after Communion had been distributed. Since in almost every instance (at least in Arkansas), the tabernacle contains the Eucharist when we walk into church (except on Holy Thursday evening and Good Friday), it is a good thing to be reminded that the "House of God" which is the body of the church is a "house of prayer" and should be respected when we are in it by silence or quiet talk if we need to say something to someone close to us. The narthex or outside (if the weather allows it) is the place that we can, and I say SHOULD visit with our brothers and sisters in the Lord, both those we know and visitors in our midst.
PLEASE remember this when you enter and while you are in the body of this or any Catholic Church and recognize the reality that our time in church is primarily to deepen our relationship with the Lord through private prayer and public worship.