Please pray for
- Mitchell Mikula, who died on Wednesday morning. His funeral services are pending.
- Diego Rendon, who is recovering from surgery
- Connie Lee, who died this past week. She was the mother of parishioner Becky Clark.
Family Mass this Sunday
This Sunday at the 10:30 AM and 12:15 PM Masses we are offering our monthly Family Mass. As many of you know we are doing this for a couple of reasons.
- First we really want to invite families to become involved as ministers at Mass. You can serve as greeters, ushers and in other capacities. Children can be part of the children’s choir as well.
- Second is that it is important for children to be engaged in the Mass. For that reason we ask them to gather around the altar during homily time for a brief presentation in which we encourage them to reflect on some aspect of the readings for the day.
This weekend we have in the Old Testament reading the account of Jonah warning the city of Nineveh that they will be destroyed because of their wickedness. The gospel is Mark’s account of the call of the first disciples. Both, are about being called to a new way of life in Jesus Christ. You might prepare your children and yourselves, perhaps, by talking with them about what it means to live as Jesus calls us to live. I will be asking them about that when I see them at Mass. We will be talking about Jonah as well so it might be good for you to review the story with your children if you have time. (It was a large fish, not a whale.)
Homilies available Online
We have started to put Fr. Rito’s and my homilies on line. Just go to the parish website and click on Prayer and Worship. You will find them there. I am also putting some hard copies on in the literature racks near the sacristy.
Volunteer Appreciation
We have a Volunteer Appreciation event coming up just before Lent begins, on Thursday, February 8, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the Great Hall. All those that serve at Emmaus are invited. There will be appetizers and beer and wine. This event is for all of you that serve at Mass: Coordinators, Lectors, EMs, Ushers, Altar Servers, Sacristans, Music/Choir members. Also for all of our catechists, those in the bereavement ministry, adoration ministry, councils and committees. Also for those of your that help at our Fall Fests and Galas and gardening. I take a risk in listing these that I will forget something. Please accept this invitation if you serve and help our parish community with your time and efforts. Just one thing, however, and that is we need to get an approximate count so we have enough refreshments. Please, RSVP either here in this email by clicking below or by calling the Parish Office. Please, RSVP by February 2, thank you.
Volunteer Appreciation Event - February 8
I will be there - one person
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We will be there - two people
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We will be there - three people
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We will ALL be there - four or more people
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I/We cannot make it.
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I want to serve - please have someone contact me
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Book recommendation
Wiley Cash, The Last Ballad
Some months ago I recommended another of Wiley Cash’s novels A Land More Kind than Home. This more recent novel is based on actual events in the early days of labor movement in the textile mills of North Carolina in the 1920’s. As historical fiction this novel is beautifully done. As a story of courage in the face of overwhelming adversity it is a wonderful and lyrical tale. Cash is a wonderful writer with a strong ability to help us to understand forces within American culture and the capacity of the human spirit to face and to overcome the darkness that sometimes arises among us. Fans of Pete Seeger and Woodie Guthrie might be interested to know that the central character of this novel is based on a woman who wrote songs that they popularized.