Mission Notes

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish is here for you. Sunday Mass is at 12:00 noon at St Francis of Assisi Independent Catholic Chapel: 195 Ridgewood Avenue Glen Ridge, NJ. Please call the parish office to arrange for the sacraments and please join us at our weekly mass.

“So that none might be Lost.”

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
August 22, 2010

Covenant of the American National Catholic Church

We covenant with God and one another to be the church of Jesus Christ, living God and our neighbors

With God’s Help:

We shall come together to glorify and worship God, proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and celebrate God’s presence among us;l

We shall teach ourselves and our children the faith of the church and shall together follow in the ways of Christ;

We shall share our beliefs by word and example and be a welcoming and caring home community where all persons may find their faith;

We shall grow spiritually, nurture and strengthen each other, share our joys and concerns and treat each other and all people with respect, compassion, and dignity.

We shall go where God calls us to offer faith and encouragement, extending a helping hand to all God’s people.

We shall participate in the ministries and mission of the American National Catholic Church.

MEDITATION:

Readings:
Isaiah 66:18-21
Psalm 117:1, 2
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Luke 13:22-30

Jesus doesn’t answer the question put to Him in this Sunday’s Gospel. It profits us nothing to speculate on how many will be saved. What we need to know is what He tells us today - how to enter into salvation and how urgent it is to strive now, before the Master closes the door.

Jesus is “the narrow gate,” the only way of salvation, the path by which all must travel to enter the kingdom of the Father (see John 14:6).

In Jesus, God has come - as He promises in this week’s First Reading - to gather nations of every language, to reveal to them His glory.

Eating and drinking with them, teaching in their streets, Jesus in the Gospel is slowly making His way to Jerusalem. There, Isaiah’s vision will be fulfilled: On the holy mountain He will be lifted up (see John 3:14), will draw to Himself bretheren from among all the nations - to worship in the heavenly Jerusalem, to glorify Him for His kindness, as we sing in Sunday’s Psalm.

In God’s plan, the kingdom was proclaimed first to the Israelites and last to the Gentiles (see Romans 1:16; Acts 3:25-26), who in the Church have come from the earth’s four corners to make up the new people of God (see Isaiah 43:5-6; Psalm 107:2-3).

Many however will lose their place at the heavenly table, Jesus warns. Refusing to accept His narrow way they will weaken, render themselves unknown to the Father (see Isaiah 63:15-16).

We don’t want to be numbered among those of drooping hands and weak knees (see Isaiah 35:3). So we must strive for that narrow gate, a way of hardship and suffering - the way of the beloved Son.

As this week’s Epistle reminds us, by our trials we know we are truly God’s sons and daughters. We are being disciplined by our afflictions, strengthened to walk that straight and narrow path - that we may enter the gate, take our place at the banquet of the righteous.

Sunday Bible Reflections by Dr. Scott Hahn
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
http://www.salvationhistory.com/homily_helps/english/august_22_2010_-_21st_sunday_in_ordinary_time

Greetings and Peace!

Hello Everyone and Peace!

PARISH BRUNCH

Mark on your calendars that our next parish brunch will be scheduled for August 29th after mass.

ST. FRANCIS WEBSITE

For those of you who have not visited our Parish Website yet, please do so and check out the new pictures which our webmaster Geety has just uploaded!


JERSEY CITY PRIDE

The volunteers who will be representing us at this year’s Pride Day in Jersey City will be meeting to discuss the day’s events on Saturday, August 21st. Anyone who wishes to join us and help out please see contact Brother Geety at (202) 374-4921, Brother Anthony, Jane or Kathy for further details.   We will be meeting at Jane's place at Oradell, NJ.

HOLY GROUNDS

We had a very nice Holy Groundz meeting last week! Please join us for another evening of fun at Eclectic Café on Wednesday August 25th at 7:30.

SCRIPTURE STUDY

We are planning a Scripture Study within Mass on Wednesday nights beginning in the Fall. Please sign up!

POETRY AND PASTRIES

We had the pleasure of making an acquaintance by the name of Marcia at the Asbury Park Pride festival. Marcia hosts a poetry reading called “Poetry and Pasteries” Anyone can read their poetry (up to 5 minutes) while enjoying some delicious desserts. The next meeting will be at Café Beethoven in Chatham
The cost is $10

Anyone who wishes to know more information can contact Marcia at marciaivans@aol.com

Enjoy the rest of the week and see you all Sunday!