Pancake, French Toast & "Homemade" Sausage Breakfast - St.Nicholas Catholic Church of Carver will host a Pancake, French Toast & Homemade Sausage Breakfast on
February 5, 2012 from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm in the parish center. Cost of the meal is $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for children (5 - 10 yrs of age) and free for children 4yrs. and under. There is also a family rate available for $20.00. Please come and join us for fun, laughter and a spectacular "All You Can Eat" breakfast

Healing Mass with Fr. Jim Livingston, Friday February 17, 7pm                                                        Paper drive will be March 26^th thru April 9 so save your paper and Cardboard.

April 17th (Tuesday) - help feed the poor with Mary Joe Copeland, details will follow

 

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                        Sitio                     

January 29, 2012 – FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Dt 18:15-20; Ps 95: 1-2, 6-7, 7-9; 1Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28

March for life! We will continue to debate, we will continue to support and oppose, we will continue to be Republicans, Democrats and Independents and that is ok; such diverse philosophy, diverse opinions keep us sane.  However, there is one thing that is not subject to debate, rather simply to be embraced without questioning, without debating, without arguing and that is ‘defending life.’  Pope Benedict XVI said, “It is necessary that the Whole of Society Defend the Right to Life."  Let us be clear, there is one topic that is not subject to second guess, or an alternative opinion, that is defending life—it is everybody’s business.  

Happy Feast: The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle! Every year on the 25^th of January, the Holy Mother Church gives us the Feast of the conversion of St. Paul.  As we know, he was zealous and ambitious, on his way to Damascus (modern day Syria), to arrest Christians when Jesus appeared to him.  The moment he encountered Jesus Christ, he became the slave of this true Jesus Christ, instead of his former slavery of egoism and arrogance, wanting to kill Christians.  Like this Paul, who with the help of Jesus, turned hate into love, we meditate on his words from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7; Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Do not quench children’s hunger for knowledge!  The more we spend time with our kids, the more we realize that they are always open to the horizons of new possibilities; open to new adventures.  They are filled with so much curiosity they ask you and I all kinds of questions.  Always remember not to extinguish the flame of curiosity, the search for knowledge that is burning in them.  As someone said, ‘no question is a dumb question.’  Every question deserves an answer.  When kids ask you questions, if you do not know the answer it is ok to say, ‘I will get back to you; I will look it up.’  You do not have to come up with an answer just for the sake of coming up with something; just for the sake of saying something.  As much as we can, let us self-educate ourselves, with faith, morality, and common sense of everyday life, so that we are well-equipped to answer questions from our children.  May the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta be our motivation: “You cannot give to others, what you do not have.”

Opportunities to be a Good Samaritan! Over the past few days, like you good people, as I was driving around, I have come to realize that millions of opportunities present themselves everywhere, to be that ‘Good Samaritan.’  None of the encounters in our lives, whether it is small or big, should be considered insignificant; every small and big opportunity, offers opportunities to be a good Samaritan.  Recently, as I was driving around in Carver, saw a little cat, probably hit by a vehicle, that was fighting for its life.  I pulled over and called 911, hoping something could be done to save its life.  I could have easily blinded myself from the needs of the dying cat, and I would feel guilty for the rest of my life if I missed this opportunity to be the good Samaritan.  Also, recently while driving back from Jordan, saw a car that lost control in the dark of the night, due to a slippery road, and ended up in the ditch by the Minnesota river valley.  I pulled over, and greeted the driver who was still in the ditch and came out of the car after seeing me.  I greeted him, ‘Hello, my name is Fr. Thomas Joseph, priest from Carver, God bless you.’  The man responded, ‘thank you priest for the prayers.  I greatly appreciate it.’  By that time the police arrived and a few fire trucks were on the way to rescue this young man.  Yes brothers and sisters, let us never miss those sacred moments, let us seize them and be the Good Samaritan we can.

Tuckpointing update!  Dear people of God, thank you for rallying behind your church as needs arise.  For the past month you have heard about the tuckpointing project that we are about to undertake, starting with the summer of 2012.  With the challenges you all have taking care of your families, please take time to sit at the dinner table and find ways to monetarily support the $25,000 goal we need for this year.  As you are aware, we already have close to $13,000 which is a great start.  Continue to explore ways to do your part as a family and lend your helping hand, to meet the goal of $25,000 for the year 2012.

School Mass at Jordan!  I always delight in talking to our school children and recently I had the opportunity to say Mass for St. John’s school in Jordan.  May the Good Lord watch over our children at our Catholic schools, public schools, private schools and everywhere.

Nothing is impossible! Recently Rita Poppitz pulled me aside and told me, “Father, since you told me a few weeks ago the importance of reading the Bible, I have been spending time reading it.”  I responded to Rita saying, “Good for you.”  Dear brothers and sisters, as I had mentioned recently in the Mass, it is a noble habit to learn from all kinds of great personalities; all those resources should increase our love for the Word of God.  St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”  Let us pray that everything else we read, hear or watch helps us to fall in love with the Bible all the more.

May Medard Wolf and Julie Nierenhausen rest in peace! Last week I had the privilege to anoint and have a nice little conversation with Medard, one fine holy man, who spent most of his life helping people with heating and plumbing in the Jordan area.  His life could be summarized in the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “A Saint is the one who does ordinary things with extraordinary love.”  We also pray for Dottie Illig’s dear sister, Julie Nierenhausen, whose funeral Mass was held at St. Ambrose in Woodbury, last week.  Julie who gracefully embraced her long battle with cancer lived the words of St. Ambrose, “Patient endurance is the perfection of charity,” may it be rewarded in heaven.  

Sunday Reflection! The Gospel for today is from Mark 1 in which we learn that when Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum, on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught; He taught as one having authority.  In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit who cried our, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are?  The Holy One of God!"  Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"  The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.  All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this?”  Dear brothers and sisters, this dramatic passage from the Gospel of Mark teaches us that evil is for real.  The collective word for demon is mazzikin which means ‘one who does harm.’  Do we recognize that the devil who wants to harm us, comes to us every day in various forms?

In Christ Jesus,                       

Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.      Roy Goodman

Fr. Thomas Joseph

Please join us this Sunday, January 29 at 6 pm in the Church to listen to Matthew Kelly's "The 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality."  This dynamic resource will inspire people to Rediscover Catholicism, live with Passion and Purpose, and bring Spiritual Vitality to the Church. We will listen to the 80min CD together in church. There is no commitment what so ever, just show up, and if possible, please join us afterwards in the parish center for refreshments.

CASE: Communities Against Senior Exploitation Mike Fahey, former Carver County Attorney and now a district court judge in Shakopee, and Kelley Archer, the information security officer at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, will do a presentation called CASE, or communities against senior exploitation. The purpose of the presentation is to be proactive in alerting senior citizens of the different methods of financial exploitation in our community and how to avoid becoming victims. The presentation includes information on identity theft, telemarketing fraud, care giver fraud and other methods of exploitation. Pre-register by calling Kristy Mock-Peterson at 952-448-2290 #2. Date: Friday, February 10 Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Place: Church by the River, Carver.  Cost: FREE

Calling all Dental Professionals and others interested in a new dental ministry to families in need through Love INC. Come to a Breakfast Open House Friday Feb. 17, from 7:30-9:00 AM at Valley Evangelical Free Church, NW corner of Hwy 41 and Engler Blvd. in Chaska. Tour the Mobile Dental Clinic and enjoy a light breakfast. RSVP by email to: info@loveincecc.org.

East Union Youth Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction will be on February 12, 2012. You do not need to be present to win during the Silent Auction. Time: 4:30- 6:30pm. Place: East Union Lutheran Church Parish Center, 15180 County Road 40, Carver, MN 55315. Prices: Adults- $10.00, Children $5.00, Family- $25.00.

Pro life Speaker – Abby Johnson.  Wednesday February 15^th, 7:00-8:15 pm, join us at the Church of St. Michael, Prior Lake, for a talk by Abby Johnson, author of the best seller unplanned. Cost is $5 for youth, $10 for adults. For more information, please contact: Pat Millea 952-447-9056 or pmillea@stmichael-pl.org. Don’t miss this dynamic, nationally known speaker!

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The Archdiocesan permanent deacon formation program will begin the discernment and application process this fall for admission to Aspirancy (novitiate) in fall 2011.  Men married or single and at least 30 years old can begin now by:  1) applying to the prerequisite Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute that begins on Monday evening, September 13 (go to the St. Paul Seminary webpage at http://www.stthomas.edu/spssod/ for an application or call 651-962-6890), and 2) attending our “Diaconate Inquiry Course” on Tuesday evenings Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 9 and Saturday morning Nov. 20 at the St. Paul Seminary.  This course will introduce men (and their wives) to the vocation, spirituality, and role of the permanent deacon in the Archdiocese and will explain the discernment, application, and formation process.  Those who cannot attend this fall may attend one of the courses offered next winter or spring.  For more information on the Diaconate Inquiry Course, contact Deacon Russ Shupe at (651) 291-4428 or email: shuper@archspm.org.   Even if you cannot apply for diaconate formation now, you may still attend the Diaconate Inquiry Course to learn more about this unique vocation in the Church.

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