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Mass Intentions

Wednesday February 17 6:00 pm † Rosalyn Ludwig
Thursday February 18 8:30 am † Don Russell
Saturday February 20 5:00 pm † Hubert Dvorak
Sunday February 21 10:30 am † Deborah Noll

 
Readings for the Week of February 14, 2010

Sunday: Jer 17:5-8/1 Cor 15:12, 16-20/Lk 6:17, 20-26
Monday: Jas 1:1-11/Mk 8:11-13
Tuesday: Jas 1:12-18/Mk 8:14-21
Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18/2 Cor 5:20 to 6:2/Mt 6:1- 6, 16-18
Thursday: Dt 30:15-20/Lk 9:22-25
Friday: Is 58:1-9a/Mt 9:14-15
Saturday: Is 58:9b-14/Lk 5:27-32

Next Sunday:
Dt 26:4-10/Rom 10:8-13/Lk 4:1-13


Dance for Life

The area Knights of Columbus are sponsoring their annual “Dance for Life” on Saturday, March 6th, from 7:00-11:00pm at 5650 Kacena Avenue in Marion to benefit our local Birthright, so mark your calendars! Tickets are $7 per person (5 yrs & older) and will be available for sale after Masses here at St John's next weekend. There will be door prizes, silent auction items, DJ Dorrington music, free food and much more, so plan to treat your Valentine and love of YOUR LIFE to a fun evening out!

 
Ash Wednesday, February 17th

6:00 pm: Mass & Ashes @ St. John’s, Mt. Vernon
7:30 pm: Mass & Ashes @ St. Isidore’s, Springville


Annual Soup Supper

After St. John’s Ash Wednesday Mass
Sponsored by Parish Community Life


Connecting With the Sunday Readings - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 14, 2010

We have heard this Gospel about the Beatitudes in another form. The Beatitudes outline the blessings that Jesus offers those who follow him. While Matthew has Jesus offering them on the mountain, Luke has Jesus proclaiming them on level ground. We can conclude that they are for any situation, anywhere. The core message is basically the same in both accounts: In God’s Kingdom, our lives will be different. The Kingdom is for those in need, the poor and the hungry, and will not easily be grasped by those who already believe that they have everything.

 
A Gospel Word for the Home - Luke 6:17, 20-26

In forming the Beatitudes, Jesus uses the time-honored language of paradox to emphasize his powerful message. Often the New Testament will present ideas that appear as difficult to understand, for instance, "the last shall be first" or "in dying, we will live." In a sense, Jesus is combating the world of sin with all its empty promises. In our world, a great deal of attention is placed on celebrities and their lavish lifestyles or on the blessings that come to the rich. Regardless of all the stories of sadness and difficulties that occur among so many of them, we still feel that it would be nice to have what they have. Even in the times of Jesus the well-to-do were envied. Yet Jesus teaches us that real happiness can come to the poor, the hungry and those who are ridiculed or insulted because of their connection with Jesus and his ways. It’s not enough to hear this just once. We need reminders because the opposite message comes to us daily through advertising and the media.

 
Thought for the Week

There is much wisdom in the saying that "true happiness comes in not getting what you want but wanting what you get." It has to do with accepting who we are as well as the basic conditions of our lives. In line with the spirit of the Beatitudes, as a result of recent economic difficulties, people have been engaged in a kind of examination of conscience about their buying habits. We are seeing more attention being given to what’s called the simple life: doing more with less. While this can have a certain self-serving tone to it, it can also be a way of focusing more on what’s really important in life, which is doing the will of God—in love.


Liturgical Ministers for Ash Wednesday February 17th

5:00 pm - Sacristan: Mary Weber
EM: Peter Bahl, Donna Herring, Jim Kendall, Brett Kimm, Tasha Redmond, Sue Schettler, Ann Thuerauf
Lectors: Mike Herring, Charlene Vig
Servers: Cory Brannaman, Lindsey Ockerlander, Bernadette Poduska
U/G: Larry & Judy Poduska


Liturgical Ministers for February 20/21

5:00 pm - Sacristan: Irene Leonard
EM: Diane Apel, Mark Binsfield, Sharon Dendurent, Sue Schettler, Mary Weber
Lectors: Dennis Allard, Vicky Wieseler
Servers: Bernadette Poduska, Adrienne Smith, Sarah Zinkula
U/G: John & Betty Wolfe


10:30 am
- Sacristan: Jim Kendall
EM: Kathy Dix, Donna Herring, Diane Kimm, Richard Povey, Heidi Ryan, Sue Schettler, Hugh Scieszinski
Lectors: Abigail Chihak, Mike Herring
Servers: Jenna Brannaman, Dennis Ludwig, Alexander Reid
U/G: Dean & Kathy Mallie


Meetings and Activities of the Week

Monday, Feb. 15
7:00 pm - Parish Community Life Commission

Tuesday, Feb. 16
7:00 pm - Faith Formation Commission

Wednesday, Feb. 17
9:00 am - Mom's Group
6:00 pm - Ash Wednesday Mass, soup supper to follow

Friday, Feb. 19
8:30 am - Eucharistic Adoration
5:30 pm - Stations of the Cross

 

212 Seventh Street SE | Mount Vernon, Iowa 52314 | 319-895-6246