St.Xavier Bulletin

Friday, March 31, 2006

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 2, 2006

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The Holy Spirit summons us to this holy place to be nourished at the tables of word and Eucharist. We ask God to open our hearts to receive mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. As Easter nears, let us prepare ourselves by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to renew the promises made at the moment of our baptism.
On line from today's reading is a summary of God's everlasting love: "I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Time and again throughout salvation history God's people forgot the abundance of God's love and mercy. And for as many times as the people forgot, God always called them back, bestowing even more love and mercy. As God's word is proclaimed today, let us welcome God's never-ending promise of fidelity, made visible in the Lord Jesus, who draws everyone to himself.

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
Holy Thursday 7:00 pm
Good Friday NOON & 7:00 pm
Holy Saturday 8:30 pm

Easter Sunday

8:00 am
9:30 am
11:00 am

Anointing will be held at Noon following Mass on Wednesday and Thursday following Mass at 7:30 am and 7:00 pm. Stations of the Cross Monday following Mass.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS

The monthly Knights of Columbus meeting will be Tuesday, April 4 at Griffin Hall.

Welcome to our new members, Alex Purdy and Adam Keating.

Our last Fellowship Breakfast for the year will be April 9th after all Masses in the school lunchroom.

The Annual Good Friday Fish Fry will be on April 14 at Griffin Hall (K of C)

Easter Egg Hunt will be held in Coronado Park April 15. There will be more information later about this event.

Congratulations to the February Knight of the Month; Tom Litney and to the Family of the Month; Kurt and Sandy Leistner.

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A traveling display of Our Lord's Life and Passion will be on display at Seven Dolors Church in Manhattan on Good Friday, April 14th from 1pm tp 6:30pm.

For people who cannot travel to Rome or the Holy Land itself, this is as close as many people come to artifacts associated with the life and passion of Our Lord.

We hope that people will come away from viewing these relics with an increased faith and personal conviction to Christ's loving Sacrifice.

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RCIA

Classes are held on Sunday nights at 6:00 pm in Building C. For more information or explanation of the process of RCIA, call Kurt/Sandy at 210-5006
or Sister Mary Jo Thummel at 238-3429.

April 2 - Seder Meal 6:00 pm School Assembly Room
April 9 - RCIA Retreat at Milford Lake
April 15 - Easter Vigil Mass
April 23 - Class at 6:00 pm
April 30 - Class at 6:00 pm
May 6 - Closing Pot Luck

We welcome to the Christian Community, Jessica Renee Stuber, child of Christopher and Karen, who was baptized on the 25th. Also, we welcome Philip W. Van Alsdorf who was baptized, received Communion and Confirmation on the 12th. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Welcome to subscribers

Hello and God bless to all subscribers (Old and New) of St. Xavier Parish E-bulletin.

We thank you for showing an interest in staying informed of current parish activities. Your involvement and prayers is always appreciated. We publish the online bulletin by Friday night, so that you could get an early release of the news before most others in the parish do.

If you enjoy this free feature, please tell others, so that they may subscribe also.

Yours In The Service Of Jesus Christ,
George McMillin, your webservant.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Fourth Sunday of Lent

Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 26th, 2006

On this Fourth Sunday of Lent, God draws us to Jesus, the Light of the Word. Today we celebrate the Second Scrutiny with those who are preparing for baptism at Easter! A scrutiny is meant to uncover and heal all that is sinful in their hearts, and bring out and strengthen all that is good. The scrutiny is also for us. We, like the man born blind, are in need of healing. We are also like the Pharisees in today's Gospel - they are the real blind ones in the story. Their hypocrisy prevents them from recognizing truth and goodness. Let us open our hearts to our God, who call us out of darkness into marvelous light.
Today's Gospel story of the curing of the man who had been born blind presents us with yet another miracle of healing. Even though the blind man is cured, there are others in the story who remain blind to the reality of the power of God. Fear and self-centeredness blind the man's parents. Pride and hyprocrisy blind the Pharisees. The question for us is this:
Are we ready to let go of our blindness in order to allow Christ the light to enter our hearts and free us?

AUCTION MEETING
There will be an Auction Meeting Monday, March 27th, at 7:00 pm in the Parish Meeting Room for all those helping or who would like to help with the upcoming April 1st Annual School Auction.

Please note that on April 1st, 2006, Saturday Night Mass will be at 4:00 pm instead of 5:15 pm because of the St. Xavier Benefit Auction.

Beginning this week we will celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing following all weekday morning Masses and following Stations on Thursday evening.

OPERATION RICE BOWL
Fourth Sunday of Lent - Nicodemus and Jesus in today's Gospel, the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus reminds us during this Lent, that as we seek to put our spiritual lives in order, we cannot accomplish this task on our own. God has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We are reminded that we have been made able to see the kingdom of God; we have been given the gift of eternal life through the waters of baptism.
As we continue our Operation Rice Bowl journey let us remember in prayer that we are called to be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us. Through protecting the environment in which we live, we respect the goodnes of nature, a gift God has given. May our fasting keep us mindful of those who have no clean water to grow crops or to nourish their families. May our almsgiving assist Catholic Relief Services as we learn about water and sanitation programs in Afghanistan.

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Have You Said Your Rosary Today?

Enjoy the REFLECTIONS from our bulletin.
Praying with the Scripture.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Third Sunday of Lent

Third Sunday of Lent
March 19th, 2006

God gathers us together on this Third Sunday of Lent to listen with attentive hearts to challenging words that have the potential to transfom us. The Ten Commandments are set before us, as well as the familiar story of the cleaning of the temple. Let us open our hearts in true repentance, praying that the Lord will cleanse us from sin and prepare us to renew our baptismal promises at Easter.
The refrain for today's responsorial psalm sums up what our celebration of the liturgy of the word is all about: "Lord, you have the words of everlasting life." Often those words are difficult to hear because they challenge us to change our lives. Let us welcome this word today and pray that we will be cleansed from sin and realize that we are God's beloved, more precious than the finest gold. Let us be attentive to words that have the power to bring us everlasting life.

AUCTION MEETING
There will be an Auction Meeting Monday, March 20th, at 7:00 pm in the Parish Meeting Room for all those helping or who would like to help with the upcoming April 1st Annual School Auction.

Babysitting for the St. Xavier Auction
The St. Xavier High School Basketball team will be offering babysitting services during the school auction from 5-11 pm on April 1st. They will be watching the children along with an adult supervisor in Building C on the first floor (Aftercare Room). The cost for the evening will be $10 and dinner(consisting of peanut butter & jelly, chips, cookie and juice) will be provided as well as a snack. Please call the office at 238-2841.

OPERATION RICE BOWL
Today we read of Jesus cleaning the Temple. This story has a sense of urgency. It is not about anger; it's about transformation. Jesus is saying: "No more business as usual. "There is not much time left. Be converted, be cleansed because the reigh of God is at hand."
As we continue our Operation Rice Bowl journey let us remember in prayer that the ability to work to earn a living is the right of all people All workers have a right to a fair wage, to organize themselves, and to work in good conditions. May our fasting keep us mindful of the workers who provide food for their families. May our almsgiving assist Catholic Relief Services as we learn about agriculture projects and Fair Trade coffee farmers in Nicaragua.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Second Sunday of Lent

Second Sunday of Lent
February 12th, 2006

As we gather on this Second Sunday of Lent, we echo the words of Saint Peter in today's Gospel account of the Transfiguration: "it is good that we are here." This holy place is a place of peace and reconciliation where God transforms our hearts. We in turn can transform our weary world into a place of peace and forgiveness. We raise our voices in praise to the God who call us to offer a holy sactifice of thanksgiving.
As the sacred word is proclaimed this day, let us stand in awe at the remarkable faith of Abraham, our father in faith. When God calls us through the living word, let us not be afraid to echo the words of Abraham: "Here I am." And as we respond to God's call, let us be comforted by God's promise that those who are faithful will one day inherit the light and peace of heaven.

AUCTION MEETING
There will be an Auction Meeting Monday 13, at 7:00 pm in the Parish Meeting Room for all those helping or who would like to help with the upcoming April 1 Annual School Auction.

OPERATION RICE BOWL
Today in Mark's gospel we find Peter, James and John being disturbed hearing Jesus talk about carrying a cross and losing this life. In answere to their misgivings, Jesus took them to a mountain and was transfigured before them. They were filled with awe as they realized the glory was also theirs, a glory not experienced in his future kingdom, but also here on earth.
As we continue our Operation Rice Bowl journey let us remeber in prayer that human beings are not only sacred but also social. How we participate in our family and community, from our daily actions to our policy decisions, affects each and every person. May our fasting keep us mindful of the families and communities that are hungry. May our almsgiving assist Catholic Relief Services as we learn about education programs in Vietnam.

Parish Mission for the Family
March 12-15, 2006, from 7-9 in the St. Michael's Parish Center, Chapman, KS..
Fr. Habiger, OSB of St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison will preach this four night event. Fr. Habiger will talk on the four pillars of "The Catechism of the Catholic Church".

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

March 15
Finance Coucil Meeting 5:00 pm

       School Council Meeting
  7:00 pm

March 16
Parish Council Meeting   7:00 pm

CIRCLE MEETINGS
Circle I March 16 at St. Xavier School, Rm 200.
Circle III March 17th at 1:30 pm at Country Club.

Next weekend of March 18-19, Rev. Bill Martin will be with us to celebrate Masses and tell us about the work of Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. CFCA is a lay Catholic sponsorship ministry that helps children and elderly in 26 developing countries. To learn more, call (800) 875-6564 or visit CFCA online at: http://www.cfcausa.org. Please read materials that will be available in each pew and give him your full attention. Father Bill is retired from the Air Force and has spent the last years in developing countries ministering to the children of God.

Father Al will be out of state from March 12 to the 23rd. Sr. Mary Jo will be in charge of the parish. If you need a priest for emergencies, please call her at the rectory or at home (762-2599)

We thank Father Merlin Kieffer for covering Masses on scheduled weekdays. He will also hear confessions.

Friday, March 03, 2006

First Sunday of Lent

First Sunday of Lent
March 5th, 2006
As a people of the new coventant, we have been summoned to this holy place. We ask that God's ways be made known to us in word and sacrament. During this holy season God shows sinners the way. Let us open our hearts, seeking new ways to faithfulness and reconciliation.
As this holy season begins, we recall the covenant God established with Noah and his family. That covenant, made new in Jesus Christ, forges a bond between God and God's holy people, made new through the sacrament of baptism. As we enter the Lenten desert of repentance, let us embrace this holy season as a time of fulfillment, when God's everlasting coventant is renewed in our hearts.

VOTIVE LIGHTS
PLEASE put all donation envelopes directly in the collection basket. DO NOT leave them on the table with votive lights. Thank you for your cooperation.

STATION OF THE CROSS BOOKS
There are a variety of station books available in the box in the front pew on the north side of church. Please feel free to take one and use them at your convenience.

Knights of Columbus News

This Sunday the Knights will be serving their Fellowship Breakfast after all Masses in the school cafeteria. There will be free will offering. The Cub Scouts Pack 41 will also be having a bake sale in the cafeteria.

There will be a K of C meeting Tuesday, March 7th at 7:00pm. All Knights are asked to come. The Knights continue to meet the first Tuesday of each month at Griffin Hall (K of C Building).

Operation Rice Bowl
In Mark's Gospel we read about Jesus being tempted by the devil for forty days. Lent provides us with time to reflect on the temptations we face and remember we rely on God for all things. Throught our participation in Operation Rice Bowl we put our faith into action: our prayer and alms help people in need around the world.
As we continue our Rice Bowl journey let us remember in prayer that all humanity has been made in the image of God. Through our actions, we must express that each person is precious and that the lives and welfare of all people are priorities. May our fasting keep us mindful of the hunger of people of the world. May our almsgiving assist Catholic Relief Services as we learn about micro finance projects in Kenya.
Read more at: http://orb.crs.org/index.cfm.

On the weekend of March 18-19, Rev. Bill Martin will be with us to celebrate Masses and tell us about the work of Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. CFCA is a lay Catholic sponsorship ministry that helps children and elderly in 26 developing countries. To learn more, call (800) 875-6564 or visit CFCA online at: http://www.cfcausa.org.

ST. XAVIER STDUENTS IN SPLELNIG BEE

St. Xavier Students participated in the Geary County Spelling Bee. The result was:
Allison Cyr      5th Overall
Allison Cyr      1st in 7th Grade Division
Rachel Bohl      3rd in 6th Grade Division
Tony Elmlinger      5th in 7th Grade Division

GOOD JOB!!!

STATIONS OF THE CROSS
The date for the High School Student's Station of the Cross will be March 15 & 29 and April 12, following Mass at 7:50 am. Adults are welcome to participate.

The Grade School Student's Stations of the Cross will be at 1:30 pm on March 3 & 10 and April 7. Adults are welcome to participate.

WOMEN WITH A MISSION
A special thank you to the Women with a Mission Group for the donation of $1800 to help with the renovation of the Assembly Room in the St. Xavier School.
May God bless you for your generosity.

CONFIRMATION
March 12 will be a mini-retreat in the Assembly Room (Building A) at 9:00 am, followed by the Rite of Enrollment at 11:00 Mass.

DISCIPLES IN MISSION
The Disciples in Mission weekly handouts is in the back of the church, please feel free to take one home with you. If you are signed up for a small group weekly meeting and have not heard from a group leader, please contact Jane/Joe Handlos (238-3244) as soon as possible. Teen groups contact Tina/Steve Barkser (762-6128).

We welcome to our faith community all Fort Riley soldiers and their families. May God's blessings be with you as you serve our country. You are special to each of us.

Copies of the WORD AMONG US are are available at all entrances of church. Our special thanks to the Knights of Columbus for providing these meditation books to enhance our Lenten journey.

CIRCLE MEETINGS
Circle IV March 9 at 7 pm in Parish Meeting Room.
Circle III March 17 at 1:30 pm at Country Club.

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Enjoy the REFLECTIONS from our bulletin.
Praying with the Scripture.