The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Parishlife JANUARY 14, 2024

The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Mission Statement

The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Monica, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Stephen of Hungary opens its doors to embrace all in our community.

We strive through worship, hospitality, and service to receive those seeking a spiritual home.

In the midst of diversity of thought, lifestyle, nationality, economic status, and age, we endeavor to live as a community of faith. We invite you to join our family: a family seeking to know and love Jesus Christ!

Parish Staff

Pastor: Rev. Donald C. Baker .................... frdcab@stelmo79.org Parish Manager: Jennifer DeSpirito................jdespirito@stelmo79.org Sacristan: Pedro Pizarro..........................ppizarro@stelmo79.org Administrative Assistant: Gladys Tejada........gtejada@stelmo79.org Pastoral Associate: Taryn Tonelli.............ttonelli@stelmo79.org Pastoral Associate: Maryann Tyrer..........mtyrer@stelmo79.org Plant Manager: Guillermo Vanegas...gvanegas@stelmo79.org Music Director: John Zupan.....................jzupan@stelmo79.org Weekend Associate: ...........................Rev. Anthony Ciorra, IVD Weekend Associate: ..................................Rev. Edward Beck, CP Wedding Coordinator: Debbi Burdett....dbweddingsnyc@gmail.com

Mass Schedule

Daily Mass: Mon - Sat, 12:00 PM Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM Sunday: 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, 5:00 PM Confessions: Saturdays at 5:00 PM* (*or by appointment)

Contact

Church Address: 413 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075 Parish Center: 406 East 80th Street, New York NY 10075 Tel: 212-288-6250 Fax: 212-570-1562 Email: info@stelmo79.org

Mass Intentions

Saturday, January 13, Vigil 5:30 PM - Joseph O’Mara (Living) Sunday, January 14, The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 AM - Anna and Harry Ryga 10:00 AM - David Schaefer 12:00 PM - All Parishioners 5:00 PM - Michael L. Keating Monday, January 15, Weekday 12:00 PM - Delia Cassis (Living) Tuesday, January 16, Weekday 12:00 PM - Catherine Sheehan Wednesday, January 17, St. Anthony, Abbot 12:00 PM - Nora Green Thursday, January 18, Weekday 12:00 PM - Thanksgiving

Friday, January 19, Weekday 12:00 PM - Lidia Engracia Rodriguez Saturday, January 20, Vigil 12:00 PM - Jeremy Welsh (Living)

Prayers for the Sick: Marylin Atkinson Danielle Boros Judith Farber Marcelle Ferrier Rosemary Keating Anne Lesch Maureen Lynch

Michelle Netus Neil O’Carroll Mary O’Connor Lynch Harry Rabonwitz Michael Reilly Jerry Schwegman Jose Vasquez

all those who are ill, and all victims of military activities

Parish Office Hours Monday & Wednesday..............................9 AM - 4 PM Tuesday & Thursday ................................. 9 AM - 7 PM Friday ......................................................... Closed Saturday ................................................10 AM - 2 PM Sunday ....................................................... Closed Closed for Lunch Weekdays from 1 - 2 PM

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Prayers for the Deceased: Regina Ford and all victims of the Middle East

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Every Friday after the 12:00 PM Mass until 3:00 PM in the church and live online Devotions Miraculous Medal on Mondays after Mass in the church and live online Divine Mercy Every Friday at 3:00 PM in the church and live online Vespers (Evening Prayer) Every Friday at 5:10 PM in the chapel and live online Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays at 5:00 PM or by appointment Anointing of the Sick Every third Saturday of the month after the 12:00 PM Mass Baptisms & Marriages Please call the rectory office for more information.

Communion for the Homebound: If you know of anyone who cannot attend church because of illness/age and would like to have communion brought to them, please contact the parish office for arrangements.

Baptism Announcement

On January 14th at the 12:00 PM Mass, we will be baptizing:

Hudson Breton Hensler Please join us in congratulating

Derrek J. Hensler & Kerri L. Donohoe on their child’s new life in Christ.

Baptism Services are open to all members of the parish to welcome our newest members!

Weekly Readings & Observances Readings for the week of January 14, 2024 Sunday:

1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19/Ps 40:2, 4 7-8, 8-9, 10 (8a, 9a)/1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20/ Jn 1:35-42 Monday: 1 Sm 15:16-23/Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23/Mk 2:18-22 Tuesday: 1 Sm 16:1-13/Ps 89:20, 21-22, 27-28/Mk 2:23-28 Wednesday: 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51/Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10/Mk 3:1-6 Thursday: 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7/Ps 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b11, 12-13/Mk 3:7-12 Friday: 1 Sm 24:3-21/Ps 57:2, 3-4, 6 and 11/Mk 3:13-19 Saturday: 2 Sm 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27/Ps 80:2-3, 5-7/Mk 3:20-21 Next Sunday: Jon 3:1-5, 10/Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (4a)/1 Cor 7:29-31/Mk 1:14-20 Observances for the week of January 14, 2024 Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Martin Luther King Day St. Anthony, Abbot January 18-25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr; St. Sebastian, Martyr Next Sunday: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

©LPi

Est. 1928

JOIN US OPEN HOUSE FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 AT 8:30 AM email Judy Dickson, Director of Admissions,

at jdickson@saintstephenschool.org 408 EAST 82ND STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10028

(212) 288 - 1989 | www.saintstephenschool.org

PROGRESS AND PEACE “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”– Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 18, 25, and February 1, 2024 6:30 - 8:30 PM, Parish Center: Life in Christ: Foundations of Catholic Morality Join us for this four-part course, taught by Maryann Tyrer. Learn how the Church’s moral teaching developed out of the ten commandments and beatitudes and how it guides us in both responsible decision making and the development of our consciences.

Catechist Formation courses for the Archdiocese of New York are open to all as part of the Theology Thursday lineup. Please register with the Archdiocese by scanning the QR code below: (Please note, you’ll need to create an account with a valid email address to register!)

Finding Comfort in Your Grief Bereavement Ministry will resume meeting on January 17 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM in the parish center for an additional five weeks. All those grieving the loss of a loved one are welcome regardless of faith.

Those who have participated in this program in the past are welcome, as well as those joining us for the first time. Sessions include prayer and reflection, as well as discussion and sharing. Contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org for more information.

This week, we have the opportunity to remember Martin Luther King Jr., who dreamed of a loving and just society for all. Honor him today by taking a moment to reflect on his leadership. Let us pray for unity, peace, and to continue pushing for racial equality throughout the world.

A Prayer for Reflection: Gracious God, We live in times of deep division, mistrust, and violence.

Bless in a special way our celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Open our hearts and minds to your truth and renew our commitment to justice and peace, pursued through cooperation and love.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit, that we might realize and accept that we are all members of the same human family, created in your image and likeness. May the example of Dr. King inspire us to see in one another sisters and brothers, with a common origin and destiny guided by the conviction that together, we can nobly fulfill the promise of our nation.

We pray in the name of the God who is our creator and who calls us to create communities of justice, freedom, and peace. Amen.

• What is one action or commitment you can make today that will advance Dr. King’s dream of a free, just, and equal society?

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time K-8 Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation: • Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 10:00 AM Mass on Sundays o Volunteers are needed to train as leaders and assistants. Email mtyrer@stelmo79.org if you are interested.

• K-8 Religious Education sessions resume on January 14.

Adult Sacraments of Initiation (RCIA): • Have you ever thought about becoming Catholic? Or are you a baptized Catholic who has not yet celebrated First Communion or Confirmation? You, and your questions, are warmly welcomed!

Come and share the journey with others. Please contact Maryann Tyrer at mtyrer@stelmo79.org to discuss our adult initiation process (commonly known as the RCIA). Join the process at any time in the year.

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities: • Join us for Adult Faith Formation every Sunday following the noon mass. Come to the parish center (406 East 80th Street) for refreshments and a facilitated discussion of the Sunday scriptures. We end at 3:00 PM. All adults are welcome!

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Our “Group of Guys” Men’s Faith Sharing Group meets every Tuesday at 12:00 PM in the parish center, and all men are welcome to join.

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Theology Thursday continues on January 18 at 6:30 PM with the second of a four week series on Catholic Morality.

THE CHURCH IS BACK IN ORDINARY TIME, BUT EVERY DAY IS EXTRAORDINARY, A GIFT FROM GOD, AND CAN BE AN OUTBURST OF GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY. -TIMOTHY CARDINAL DOLAN

“Ordinary Time” doesn’t mean “ordinary” in the sense of nothing special. Rather, it refers to the way in which we count the Sundays between the seasons of Christmas and Lent, and again between the seasons of Easter and Advent in an “ordinal” way. Ordinal numbers are first, second, third… fourteenth… thirtieth, etc.

So while we use ordinal numbers to refer to these weeks, there is nothing ordinary about them, for every day is an opportunity to meet Jesus, and to follow Jesus’ call to discipleship.

What Is Ordinary Time?

Kristopher W. Seaman One of my former professors, in anticipation for the next class session, said we would begin to look at the liturgical calendar — the way the Church tells time. The first topic would be Ordinary Time. Then he said something that would change the way I view, celebrate, and prepare for Ordinary Time. With excitement, he exclaimed, “There is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time!” At the time, I was quite perplexed.

What does he mean that Ordinary Time isn’t ordinary? Then why call it ordinary? This confused undergraduate walked back to his dorm room and began feverishly reading for the next class on Ordinary Time.

When we hear the word “ordinary,” we tend to think, “common,” everyday, or mundane. In other words, if something is ordinary it isn’t special. Ordinary from its Latin root means “order”.

When we order something, we arrange in a sequence. That is, it is numbered. It is ordinal. This same professor suggested that Ordinary Time is Ordinal Time. It is counted time. We now know why it is called Ordinary Time, but how is it differentiated from other liturgical seasons and feasts?

The liturgical year is the calendar the Church uses for seasons, feasts, and solemnities. Various calendars are used for various reasons: civil, school year, lunar (for example, for calculating Chinese New Year or Jewish holy days), etc. The liturgical year basically celebrates one thing: The Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery is Jesus Christ’s birth, life, Passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and subsequent sending of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus to the apostles, is the One who brings us into relationship — into communion — with Christ’s death and Resurrection. This death and Resurrection is the saving event that frees us from sin and death. The Father’s raising of Jesus from the dead transcends all time, because the Spirit — whom Jesus said the Father would send—invites us into this saving Paschal Mystery.

That means, we are always invited by our Triune God to enter into the depths of the Paschal Mystery.

What does the Paschal Mystery have to do with Ordinary Time?

The Paschal Mystery is so big, so deep, so vast, that we journey through this mystery for a whole year: the liturgical year. Sundays in Ordinary Time, as the official document on the liturgical year the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar states, “are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects” (43). Other liturgical seasons focus on one aspect. For instance, during Lent we focus on turning away from sin in order for our Triune God to transform us into more faithful disciples. Feasts for saints celebrate the exemplary life of a saint who witnessed to Christ’s Paschal Mystery in his or her very life, sometimes unto death. The 33 or 34 weeks in Ordinary Time then celebrate the whole Paschal Mystery on each Sunday. According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, “Ordinary Time begins on the Monday after the Sunday following 6 January and continues until Tuesday before Ash Wednesday inclusive. It begins again on Monday after Pentecost and ends before evening prayer I of the First Sunday of Advent” (44). Therefore, Ordinary Time is segmented into two parts, with Lent-Holy Week-Easter-Pentecost being in the middle.

My former professor was indeed right; there is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time. Rather, we count the Sundays and the weeks as we celebrate the mystery of Jesus Christ who calls us into communion with himself as he leads us through the power of the Holy Spirit to the Father.

KRISTOPHER W. SEAMAN is the associate director for the Office for Divine Worship in the diocese of Gary, Indiana.

© 2010 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609; 1-800-933-1800; www.LTP.org.

Art © Julie Lonneman. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Pastoral Liturgy ® magazine, July/August 2010, www.PastoralLiturgy.org.

This page may be reproduced for personal or parish use. The copyright notice must appear with the text.

It also may be downloaded at www.PastoralLiturgy.org.

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Looking ahead to January 21, 2024: the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time It’s simple. Read the Gospel for next Sunday slowly, reflecting on the story it tells. Consider the questions asked each day. What conversion of heart, mind, and life might the Lord be asking of you at this moment? Reflect on how you might live out God’s Word each day.

MARK 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

Monday, January 15 Which words or phrases caught your attention? Which comforted or challenged you?

Tuesday, January 16 Jesus calls every one of us. No matter who we are, we all have our gifts to share, and we are called to use these gifts in our vocation. Am I using my gifts to spread the message of the kingdom of God? Wednesday, January 17 When Jesus said, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men,” he was calling the disciples into a deeper personal relationship. What can I do today to enter a deeper personal relationship with Jesus?

Thursday, January 18 When Jesus called Simon and Andrew, they dropped everything and immediately followed Jesus.

If Jesus came today, would I be able to do the same thing?

Friday, January 19 Unlike the first disciples, many of us received our baptism when we were just babies. Today, what action can I take to fulfill the promises made on my behalf?

Saturday, January 20 Jesus came to establish true justice with compassion for all of humanity. What action can I take to further his mission?

JANUARY 14, 2024 Being the Blessing Back on December 10, 1989, I sat with my seminary classmates in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Outside thousands had gathered to protest the Catholic Church due to its stance on issues around homosexuality and AIDS. When the cardinal began to preach, people chained themselves to the pews, blew whistles, and screamed. After it was all over, in the car driving home, we – young, pious seminarians – were horrified at the disrespect shown to the mass. But then one classmate simply said, “Don’t you understand? They are fighting for their lives.”

Of course, I thought. Most of them had been raised in churches that preached a gospel of love and forgiveness; of care for the poor and healing for the sick. And in their hour of need, the Church condemned them. I stopped judging and started listening.

That condemnation was not universal. Many Church organizations were heroic in their care of people with AIDS. But the damage was done. A generation of Catholics saw their Church encourage prejudice and foster fear. Moreover, all those gay men who died had friends and family members, for whom the Church had become a scandal, and thus the Gospel itself was disgraced. Cardinal O’Connor maintained that he was defending the Church against ideologies which challenged its teaching. But in retrospect, his inability to listen to the cries of those protesters and others like them did incalculable damage to the Church and its mission.

Years later, as he lay on his own deathbed, Cardinal O’Connor repented of his judgments. Evidently, he realized, no matter what the Church taught, people with AIDS were people and not a wedge issue to be used in an ideological battle. I have thought a lot about him these past few weeks, after the publication of Pope Francis’ declaration of Fiducia Supplicans, which opens the door for clergy to bless “irregular relationships.” This includes people married outside the Church, as well as people not married at all. But most people focus on the permission to bless same sex relationships.

Even the most conservative acknowledge that the Church’s teachings on marriage and family have not changed. And yet, who could have imagined in the winter of 1989 that in the winter of 2023, couples who cannot marry in the Church, could nevertheless be blessed by it? How is that possible?

The answer is found in the Synodal Process. After listening to the responses of people all over the world, Pope Francis, guided by pastoral theologians and many of his own bishops, realized that while the Church cannot recognize an irregular relationship as a marriage, it could bless the people in it, their love, and their commitment to one another. In that way, these people – far from being judged and excluded – are welcomed to continue to grow in their relationship with God in and through the Church.

What changed? I would like to think that the Church started doing what my classmate encouraged us to do that day in 1989: stop judging and start listening. To see one another not as sinners in need of our admonition and correction (because “of course we are right, and they are the ones who are wrong!”) but as disciples, called to learn and to grow in our relationship with the One who will one day judge us all: from Pope Francis and Cardinal O’Connor, all the way down to us in the pews. And that judgment will be based not on ideological purity, but on love and service (Mt 25:31-46).

When we get this right, then the Church does more than just bless relationships – it is, itself, a blessing in a world which is every bit as sick and fearful, and every bit as much in need of healing and grace as it was in 1989. Maybe this time, we might just get it right.

—Father Baker