Why You Should Read the Bulletin...

The Latest from "The Lion's Roar"

Every once in a while I hear the expression "Who reads the bulletin anyway?" when we talk about people who miss important parish events. We should realize that our parish bulletin is the primary way we inform everyone about what's happening in the parish. And it is not just a bunch of information. We can also get some laughs out of it. The following are samples of bulletin bloopers.

"The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in the church basement Friday at 7pm. The congregation is invited to attened this tragedy."

"Wieght watchers will meet at 7pm at St. Teresa's Catholic Church. Please use double door at side entrance."

"Don't let worry kill you - let the Church help."

"Ladoes, don't forget the rummage sale! It is a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husband."

"The peacemaking committee meeting scheduled for next week has been canceled due to a conflict."

"The pastor will preach his final sermon next week, after which the choir will sing 'Break Forth into Joy'"

"Low Self-esteem Support Group will be meeting next Wednesday at 6pm. Please use the back door."

The moral of the story. Please do take home a bulletin when you leave the church. You never know what you might be missing.

This one caused a lot of laughs after Mass, which we all needed. After communion, we recieved the news from Father, that the Bishop is making him the pastor... of a different parish. Two and a half hours away. We are all very sad, because during the one year that we've had Father Ariel as our parochial administrator, we have become very attatched to him. He is such a wonderful, vibrant, friendly, holy and reverant priest, and has done so much to make our parish blossom. It was quite a blow to hear that he will be leaving in one short month. Please pray that his replacemnt will be just as good of a priest, and that we may accept God's will in this. Thank you.

Bible vs Cell Phone

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treated our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What of we gave ot to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

This is something to make you go.... hmmm!

Where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected,

because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think:

"Where are my priorities?"

And no dropped calls!

Isn't it wonderful

to belong to a parish with a wonderfully vibrant, reverent, priest, who is not afraid to tell you what is acceptable and what is not? For example, check out Father Ariel's latest "The Lion's Roar".

~It might still be Spring but I feel like it is already Summer because of an extraordinary string of warm weather. Correct me if I am wrong.

~Speaking of warm weather, I have seen some people at Mass wearing shorts. Come Summertime, we will be dealing again with people who wear inappropriate dress at Mass.

~I have heard the argument that clothing does not, or should not, matter as long as people attend Mass. It is the disposition that matters, not the external trappings. I am all for that. My problem with that is that our clothing does affect our dispositions. If a person considers participating at Mass just like watching a baseball game by dressing as if they were the same, how do you think that person will behave during the Eucharistic celebration? In addition, inappropriate clothing can also be bothersome for some people, if not an occasion of sin. OK, that's their problem, you'll tell me. At least, I beg you, try to be modestly dressed.

~To write about modest dressing at Mass certainly deserves space. But I cannot cover all the details. To state it briefly, I hope that your disposition at Mass, which comes from a mature spirituality, guides your choice of clothing. And for those offended by "inappropriate Church clothing", judge not the disposition of the person. Be a good example if possible and necessary.

We love our pastor! (Actually, he is currently a parochial administrator, which basically means he is more 'moveable'. We hope he stays!) I believe that his section of the bulletin is called "The Lion's Roar" because Ariel means "the Lion of God." Fitting, don't you think?

Ps. This doesn't fit in with the topic, but I got my driver's licence today! Hooray! =D

The Final Week of Advent...

So now we are in the final stretch... the last full week of advent. For me, it's a fun and exciting time, with Christmas decorations being set up, presents arriving in the mail and being carefully hidden away until the day of Christ's birth. The giving of gifts reminds me of how in some countries the person who's birthday it is does not receive gifts, but instead gives gifts to others. Which is what Christ does for us. He gives us the tremendous gift of His birth, and through it, His eternal present of the Eucharist.

Along with the Christmas season comes the reminder, "It is better to give, than to receive."
How true this is! My siblings and I received the special blessing of discovering this truth a few Christmases ago, when we attended a "Santa's Workshop", and for the first time bought Christmas gifts for each other. I can still remember the excitement of searching among crowded tables for just the right gift for my siblings, without them seeing what it was. No small task when you are one of seven!
And I remember that Christmas that we realized we were more excited watching them open the gifts we gave them than opening our own! Since then, we have eagerly looked forward to each Christmas and the moment when they see what we have gotten for them.

Of course, with all the excitement, one can still easily overlook the true reason for the season, and become engrossed in gift buying. Like Father Ariel (our pastor) says "As we continue to prepare for Christmas, we need to remind ourselves not to overspend. Gift-giving has become (or is) a wonderful part of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. However, in a consumer society there is a danger of focusing solely on material gifts, thinking they will make us happy, and not on things that really matter like family tradition and togetherness, reconciliation for some family members, peace and serenity, a sense of hope that Jesus Christ brings. If you are going to spend, spend wisely and prudently or else...

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house

Every creature was hurting, even the mouse.

The toys were all broken, their batteries dead,

There's still food on the table, butter and bread.

Wrapping and ribbons just cover the floor

While upstairs the family continued to snore.

To clean was my goal, so I started the action

When all of a sudden I heard a commotion.

The mailman I saw was delivering our mail,

Bill after bill, he started to wail,

"Now Jared, now Wal-mart, now Radio Shack, now Sears!

Here's even one for Target and Best Buy!" you hear.

He remarked, "To the limit, every store, every mall

Spend, spend, spend and charge in galore."

And as he left, I heard his great holiday cheer,

"Enjoy what you bought, you'll be paying all year!"

So heed the words of the wise (don't spend too much), it's better to give than to recieve, and most imporatntly, always remember...

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Leave a footnote!

Not all Compasses Point in the Right Direction

Especially, "The Golden Compass".
Very soon a movie entitled "The Golden Compass" will be shown in theaters. This movie is based on the first book of a trilogy entitled "His Dark Materials" that was written by Phillip Pullman. Mr. Pullman is a noted English atheist and his objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism to kids. Hence his stories appeal to kids, but with a sinister objective. In these books God is not the Almighty but a powerful "angel" who has deceived the world. In an interview, Pullman said, "I don't know whether there is a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say."
I certainly do not want to excite your curiosity about this film. As you parochial administrator, I only want to save you from an occasion of sin and to discourage you from supporting a production that is contrary to our Catholic beliefs. Our goal should be to use the media in helping our children grow in their knowledge of Catholic beliefs and morals.

Kudos to Father Ariel, pastor of the parish I attend for writing the article in the weekly bulletin! If only all pastors would warn their parishioners about 'occasions of sin'. And not just near occasions of sin, but occasions of sin! I have seen a preview for this movie and it is disturbing that they are trying to make it appear like "The Chronicles of Narnia" and the "Lord of the Rings" by showing animals helping the main character; and the preview opening with the words "From the producers who brought you Middle-Earth".

I won't go into more detail since many of you have already heard about this terrible film, but in case you haven't, follow this link to a great website explaining in further detail what is wrong with this production.

So head over to http://www.catholicleauge.com/ to read more.