SUNDAY MASS March 8, 2009

God our Father,
help us to hear your Son.
Enlighten us with your word,
that we may find the way to your glory.
We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

MONTHLY MASS AT HOPE VILLAGE
Wednesday, March 18 is the monthly Mass at Hope Village. You are invited to join in celebrating Mass with those members of our parish community who are unable to join us at our regular Sunday liturgies. The Mass is held in the Library of the Assisted Living section of Hope Village. Mass time is 10:30am. Visitors are asked to park on the side and back parking lots, please.

LENTEN FRIDAY NIGHT SOUP SUPPERS AND STATIONS OF THE CROSS
This Friday, March 13 at 6:00pm, the RCIA Team will prepare and serve a soup supper in the Parish Center followed by the Junior High presenting the Stations of the Cross in the Church. Please come and join us during this lenten time of reflection.

FASTING AND ABSTINENCE REGULATIONS
All Catholics 14 years and older must abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday. All Catholics between ages 18 and 59 are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. To fast means to eat one full meal; the other two meals that day should be less than the normal amount unless they are already at a minimum for good health. Eating between meals is not permitted; however, liquids including coffee, milk and fruit juices are allowed.

ST. PATRICK WOMEN’S CLUB
Come and join us on Monday, March 9 at 12noon in the Multipurpose room of the Parish Center. We will discuss our commitment to the lenten soup supper and stations of the cross. Come and enjoy a small lunch and some wonderful friendships and maybe a game or two of cards.

 

 

 

Reflecting the Gospel

Little children can be so simple, literal, and naive; often that is what brings a chuckle to us as we observe their behavior. Sometimes when children don’t want to hear what their parents are telling them, they put their hands over their ears, as if pretending not to hear excuses them from obeying. Lent is a time for us to remove our hands from our ears, listen to God, and learn again how to respond in obedience. In the first reading, Abraham stands as a model of what it means to listen to God and obey: “Here I am” he answered whenever God called. Even flesh and blood could not keep Abraham from turning his eyes away from God-he was totally “devoted. . .to God,” totally focused on listening to God and responding on obedience to the divine will. Had Abraham not continued listening, he would not have heard, “Do not lay your hand on the boy.” Abraham was so “devoted. . . to God” that he not only heard and obeyed God’s original command to sacrifice his beloved, only son Isaac, but also continued to listen to God. So heard the messenger’s command not to harm him. In the gospel, when Jesus and the disciples went “apart by themselves.” no doubt they were also taking time to focus themselves totally on God. Jesus’ transfiguration-a glimpse of future life and glory-is the fruit of this life of listening obedience, a model for our own going apart to listen for God’s voice. God commands us to listen to the “beloved Son.” Like Abraham, we do not know in advance what this listening might ask of us nor how our perception of God’s will might change. We do know that Jesus’ listening obedience to his Father’s will led him to death. Disciples go where Jesus goes. If we are faithful on the journey, we know that we will share in Jesus’ death. Disciples go where Jesus goes. The death of Isaac means no future for Abraham - no posterity. The death of Jesus means a future for everyone - his resurrection, foreshadowed in his transfiguration. In listening to Jesus, we are hearing God’s will and opening ourselves to the new life promised by his resurrection.

Parish Community News

OUR PRIVILEGE, OUR RIGHT, AND OUR DUTY

As it is written ‘Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.’ (Is 49:15):
We in the Catholic Church in the Community of St. Patrick remember, hold in our memory, and pray for the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces especially: Ryan Thomas Blackwood, Ryan Bridges, Lonnie Brown, Nathan Brown, Douglas Bower Jr., Carlos Bustamante, Adamm Creel, Isaiah Creel, David Davis, Brad Dunn, Brian Dykeman, Bill Ellis, Adam Ferrell, Andrew Gibby, David Hannon, April Kennedy, Mike Krzmarzick, Jessica Krzmarzick (wife of Michael Krzmarzick) Johnny Lugo, Alex Martin, Ryan McInnis, Jordan Morelli, John Nguyen, Robert Selner, Tarl Spencer, Leah Sundquist, Kenneth Thorpe, CJ Trillo, Jonathan Tuner, William Walsh, Erik Wiesehan and Ivan Wilson, may they be servants of Christ through service to those in need, and may they be kept safe from all harm.

PARISH SUPPORT
Parishioners of St. Patrick through the Sacrificial giving program gave to God the gift: March 8, 2009

Building Fund $586.00
Cemetery $140.00
Envelopes’ $9772.00
Loose $415.81
Children’s $4.26
Poor $314.54
Unemployment Fund $2,815.58
Total $14,932.60

 

 

MASS INTENTIONS OF THE WEEK
March 10-13, 2008

Tuesday, March 10 , 2009
+Frank Bronec by Laveta Bizon & family
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
+Joanne Battilega by Kathy Hauck
Thursday, March 12, 2009
+William Krueger by Krueger family
Friday, March 13, 2009
+Margaret O’Reilly by Mike & Joan Reilly

EVENTS AROUND THE AREA

PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE?
Always Faithful is a three-week course for couples considering marriage. It provides couples with an opportunity to discern their readiness to marry, learn important skills to be sucessfully married, and to gain an appreciation for marriage in the Church. It includes 2 private counseling sessions. A new series begins on Thursday, April 23, 2009, at Providence Portland Medical Center. To register or for more information, call Northwest Family Services at 503-215-6377 or email: service@nwfs.org. You may also register online at www.nwfs.org.

FRANCISCAN SPIRITUAL CENTER PRESENTS:
CELTIC LENTEN RETREAT
Saturday, March 21 from 10:00am-3:00pm. A day of quiet reflection, prayerful relaxation, music and meditative reading with time to walk the Labyrinth or enjoy healing massage. This pause in our Lenten journey invites us to visit the rich tradition of Celtic prayer, and to open our hearts and minds to God’s immanent presence. Cost: $35 includes lunch. To register, call 503-794-8542 or email info@francisspctr.com. For more information, visit www.francisspctr.com.

WELLNESS DAY
Saturday, March 28 from 9:00am-4:30pm This is a day to experience God’s peace, be aware of God’s presence, and be awakened to God’s abundance. The day will include inspirational talks, and the opportunity to experience Tai Chi Chih, Reflexology, Spiritual Direction, Chair Massage, Creative Dance activity, and other Wellness practices. Cost: $40 includes lunch. To register, call 503-794-8542 or email info@francisspctr.com. For more information, visit www.francisspctr.com.

 

 

 

 

Religious Education

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Mark 9:2-10

TRANSFIGURATION

I used to think, “How lucky Bible characters are!” They not only get to see but wrestle with angels; they get to witness miracles in almost every chapter or, as in today’s Gospel story, to see Jesus transfigured and hear the thunder say” This is my Son, my Chosen One. Pay attention to him.” Nowadays people never seem to have experiences like that. Why?
Perhaps it’s because we’re less impressionable. I mean, now that science explains everything from aardvark to zebra and back again, there’s nothing that seems to astound us anymore. We’re less prone than our ancestors to see an apparition amide the shadows or hear in the sighing of the wind the lament of some ghost. Instead we go through our world the way we go through a supermarket, each pushing one’s own little cart, preoccupied with one’s own shopping agenda, indifferent to people around us, alert only to surface impressions, labels on a shelf. And I used to think: how sad that we’ve lost our capacity to see things more profoundly, to see transfigurations everywhere the way Peter, James, and John did on the mountaintop.
But notice, I said, “I used to.” Because recently I’ve come to believe that even now, given the right circumstances, we too may witness transfigurations. It all has to do with my kid sister (she’s no kid anymore). Of course, I’ve known her all my life. We lived in the same house until I left at 15. And you know how it is with a kid sister. Until she came along, you were the sole object of your parents’ attention. Suddenly there’s this other baby who gets to occupy your old crib. Then she grows up into this “bother” that lives down the hall, where she plays house with silly girlfriends who intrude on your own space to disturb the precise alignment of your toy soldiers and model airplanes. You rarely focus on her; she exists only as part of your peripheral vision. In the school corridors you dread the day when her classroom is close to yours and you have to put up with her “Hi, Geoff!” as she passes among your peers. And she has this way of interfering in your neighborhood fist fights, wanting to get between you and your opponent, shouting, “Don’t you dare hurt my brother!” so that you wince for weeks after whenever your pals bring it up.
And then you leave your hometown forever to pursue a college education and ponder the meaning of the universe while she stays put, immediately marries, settles into domestic life and, except for occasional visits and chitchat about family, the gap widens- the bond seemingly reduced to a genetic link and little else. Except that two weeks ago I received a call: “Franny’s under gone surgery. They’ve found a malignant tumor.” Bingo!
Transfiguration! Suddenly, from deep down somewhere, this kid sister whom you’ve taken for granted all your life acquires an importance, a radiance you never noticed before! Suddenly you’re shaken by the possibility that she won’t be there anymore where she’s always been and where (despite your distraction) you’ve always needed her to be. Suddenly you realize how central she is not only to your life but also to the cohesion of an extended family. Suddenly you find yourself talking to her every day on the phone. Suddenly, she’s a priority and you wonder, with regret, what could have made you repress such feeling, such appreciation of the very fact of her existence for so long?
You can see why my opinion has changed about the possibility of our witnessing transfiguration even in this day and age. The only thing that troubles me is why we have to wait for pain to open our eyes to the radiance and hear the thunder say, “This is your sister, my Chosen One. Pay attention to her.” I certainly will from now on. I began with a Valentine’s Day card (the first I’ve ever sent her) inscribed” “Dear Franny, this is long overdue! Love, Geoff.”
Living the Lectionary: Geoff Wood - Year B

WHAT HAPPENING

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING OUR LORD THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF MUSIC?
You are invited to share your talents by joining the Adult Choir, open to parishioners high school age and above, in preparation for the liturgies of the Triduum and Easter. Rehearsals take place on Saturday mornings in the church, beginning at 9:30am.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Children of the parish are invited to gather once again to practice for two upcoming liturgies: First Communion on Sunday, April 26 at 1:00pm and Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10 at 11:00am. Rehearsals will be on the following Sundays: March 15 and 29 and April 5 & 9 from 12:15-1:00pm (or as soon as the 11:00am Mass is finished and for about 45 minutes). Please come and help beautify these liturgies with your singing. For more information, call Lora Heli at 503-263-3840.

DISHES, DISHES, DISHES
Are you missing a dish or two? St. Patrick has a wonderful collection of nice dishes from the recent funeral luncheons that need their homes. You may pick up your dish on Sundays after the Sunday morning masses. All dishes are located in the kitchen of the Parish Center. We would also like to thank the many cook’s of the parish who have given of themselves in the form of their wonderful dishes. The families and friends who gather together after a funeral are so grateful and appreciate the wonderful gift that each of you give of yourselves through these special dishes. Thank you!

PUT YOUR USED VEHICLE TO GREAT WORK
Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary seeks donation of used vehicles in good condition for monks and seminarians to use in their assignments. Since the Abbey intends to make substantial use of the donated vehicles to further its works, you can save money on your taxes. As there are some special rules that can apply, you should consult your tax advisor for more information. Call Debra in the Mount Angel Abbey Development Office to discuss your vehicle donation: 800-845-8272 or 503-845-3066, or email Debra: debra.king@mtangel.edu.

LIVING THE PASCHAL MYSTERY
Although we might not put or hands over our ears like little children, we do need to quiet the many and competing voices within and outside of us so we can hear Jesus’ voice. And perhaps the most difficult voice to quell is that which keeps us from following Jesus in his willingness to die to self for the good of others. Yet, to listen to Jesus is to take upon ourselves lives obedient to the divine will, a kind of living which inevitably means we put God and the good of others ahead of our own selfish desires. We must learn to die to self so we can share in transfigured glory.
When we make it a habit to key into the dying and rising of the paschal mystery, we begin to see its rhythm everywhere. In this Sunday’s gospel it plays out between transfigured glory in the first part of the gospel and the allusion to Jesus’ dying in the last part (rising from the dead”). In our daily lives the paschal mystery might play out between work and leisure, between times with loved ones and times away, between success and failure, between doing something we would enjoy and doing something someone else would enjoy more. Jesus’ death and resurrection assures us that our faithful dying to self assures us a share in risen life. In our own lives we must begin to look for both the dying and the rising.

What's Happening in the week...

March 8-14, 2009
Sunday
9:45am Religious Education Program
9:45am Parent REP meeting
11:00am Preschool/Nursery
11:30am Dismissal
3:00pm Hispanic RCIC
4:00pm Faith in Action
5:00pm Hispanic Bible Study
Monday
9:15am Bible Study
12:00noon St. Patrick Women’s Club
7:00pm Hispanic Prayer Group Choir practice
7:00pm Men’s Spirituality Group
Tuesday
7:00pm Tuesday evening Mass
Wednesday
7:00pm Journey in Faith, Faith Share and R.C.I.A.
Thursday
12:00noon Eucharistic Adoration
6:30pm Hispanic R.E.P., R.C.I.A
7:00pm Bible Study
8:00pm Benediction
Friday
7:00am Marian Prayer Group
5:30pm Hispanic Prayer Group choir practice
6:00pm Soup Supper & Stations of the Cross
7:00pm Hispanic Prayer Group

 

 

 

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