7th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2/19/2023

Mission Statement

The Roman Catholic Parish of St. Monica-St. Elizabeth of Hungary-St. Stephen of Hungary opens its doors to welcome and 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, life style, nationality, economic status & age, we endeavor to live as a community of faith and invite you to join our familya family seeking to know and love Jesus Christ.

Parish Staff

Pastor: Rev. Donald C. Baker ............................ frdcab@stelmo79.org

Rev. Msgr. Leslie J. Ivers ............................... msgrlivers@stelmo79.org

Weekend Associate: .................................... Rev. Anthony Ciorra, IVD

Weekend Associate:...............................................Rev. Edward Beck, CP

Pastoral Associate: Ms. Maryann Tyrer ........ mtyrer@stelmo79.org

Music Director: Mr. John Zupan .................... jzupan@stelmo79.org

Wedding Coordinator: Ms. Debbi Burdett.....dbweddingsnyc@gmail.com

Parish Manager: Jennifer DeSpirito.............................jdespirito@stelmo79.org

Plant Manager: Guillermo Vanegas .......... gvanegas@stelmo79.org

Sacristan: Pedro Pizarro ...................................ppizarro@stelmo79.org

Administrative Assistant: Gladys Tejada ..... gtejada@stelmo79.org

Church Address: 413 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10075

Parish Center Address: 406 East 80th Street, NY, NY 10075

Tel: 212-288-6250 Fax: 212- 570-1562

Email: info@stelmo79.org

Our Offices are open:

Note: Please go to page 10 for our Holiday Schedule

Monday & Wednesday................................. . 9am - 4pm

Tuesday - Thursday ....................................... 9am - 7pm

Friday ....................................................... Closed

Saturday ................................................. 10am - 2pm

Sunday ..................................................... Closed

Closed for Lunch Weekdays..................1pm - 2pm Visit us at: www.STELMO79.org

Follow us on social media by searching STELMO79

Mass Schedule

Daily Mass: Mon-Sat, 12 noon Saturday Vigil: 5:30pm

Sunday: 8am, 10am, 12pm & 5pm

Confessions: Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment

Mass Intentions

Saturday, February 18th Vigil

5:30pm Noreen Egan (Living)

Sunday, February 19th

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

8:00am Gail Kirwan

10:00am Nine Souls of Lima

12:00pm All Parishioners

5pm Araceli Doronila

Monday, February 20th Weekday 9am Emil DeSpirito

Tuesday, February 21st Weekday

12pm Patrick Medici

Wednesday, February 22nd

Ash Wednesday

7:30am Glen Allen 12pm Mary Goggin

3pm Service 6pm Clare Barlow

Thursday, February 23rd

Thursday after Ash Wednesday 12pm Roberta Chapey (Living)

Friday, February 24th

Friday after Ash Wednesday 12pm Thanksgiving

Saturday, February 25th

Saturday after Ash Wednesday 12pm Harry Hibbits

For Mass Intentions, please visit the Parish Center

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Every Friday after the Noon Mass until 3pm in the church and live on-line

Devotions

Miraculous Medal on Mondays after Mass in the church and live on-line

Divine Mercy

Prayed every Friday at 3pm in the church and live on-line

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Every Friday at 5:10pm in the Chapel and live on-line

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturdays at 5pm or by appointment

Anointing of the sick

Every third Saturday of the Month after the noon 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 or age, and would like to have communion brought to them, please contact the Parish office, so that we can arrange for a Eucharistic Minister to bring communion to them.

PRAYERS FOR THE SICK

Joanna Jack, Rev. Thomas Fenlon, Rev. Peter Bonventre, Cindy Garnica Castro, Madeline Tipton, Jennie Marmo and all those ill with or recovering from the COVID-19 virus and all Victims of Military Activities

PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED

Lydia Rodriguez,Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Rev. Karl Bauer, Rev. Salvatore Ricardi, Deacon Arthur Cuccia, Mike Ward, Sr. Suzanne LaChapelle, Maureen Crean, Wanda Denome, Patricia Roche & Leilani Waldman

Today’s Readings

First Reading — Take no revenge and cherish no grudge; love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18).

Psalm — Our God shows mercy and graciousness (Psalm 103).

Second Reading — You are the temple of God, and holy (1 Corinthians 3:16-23).

Gospel — Offer no resistance; love your enemies (Matthew 5:38-48).

Readings for the Week

Monday: Sir 1:1-10; Ps 93:1-2, 5; Mk 9:14-29

Tuesday: Sir 2:1-11; Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 2728, 39-40; Mk 9:30-37

Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; Ps 51:3-6ab, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor 5:20 — 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a; Ps 51:3-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15

Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-6; Lk 5:27-32

Sunday: Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Ps 51:3-6, 12-13, 17; Rom 5:12-19 [12, 17-19]; Mt 4:1-11

St. Stephen of Hungary School (SSHS) offers a life changing education through a supportive, nurturing and faith-filled environment. Educating the whole child through a growth mindset, students are challenged to think critically and creatively while solving complex, real world issues in our everchanging global community.

Consider this:

• Overall proficiency in Math and ELA as per the New York State Exams and in MAP Growth Subject Assessments (Kindergarten – Grade 8) ranks SSHS in the top 5 percent of schools in the Archdiocese of New York and the top 15 percentile nationally.

• The Class of 2023 has received close to $1 million in merit scholarships at highly-rated high schools in the metropolitan area, including Regis High School, Convent of the Sacred Heart and Marymount School.

• Our dedicated and highly committed faculty work collaboratively in preparing students to be passionate leaders and life-long learners.

• Our campus features unique learning spaces including outdoor classrooms in our rooftop garden & turfed play yard.

• With a dedicated Parents Association and active SSHS Foundation, our community is truly a gem on the Upper East Side.

Choosing the right school for your children is one of the most important gifts you can bestow on them. For more information about applying to SSHS, your parish school, please email jdickson@saintstephenschool.org

Young Adult Ministry Upcoming Events

Wine and Cheese (Mardi Gras style!) after the 5pm Mass on Sunday, February 19 in the Church – Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be served, along with cheese, crackers, and fruit. And there will be beads, party favors, and King Cake! Join us to celebrate before we begin the Season of Lent.

(Ash Wednesday is February 22)

Church to this day, where they continue to guide the faithful.

As Catholic Christianity spread throughout Europe during the first millennium, different cultures celebrated the last day before Lent in their own ways, adapting the practices to suit their cultures. In France, the holiday became particularly popular as people feasted on foods that would be given up during the forty days of Lent. Meats, eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving the holiday its French title of 'Mardi Gras' which means Fat Tuesday. As Europeans crossed the Atlantic to colonize the Americas, they brought their religious practices with them. From the onset, holidays such as Mardi Gras were celebrated in the colonies with as much enthusiasm as they were celebrated in Europe. As the colonies swelled with European immigrants, the celebrations went from the simple to the elaborate. In New Orleans, masked balls and public celebrations quickly became common. In fact, the celebrations became so popular that virtually every citizen of the city joined in even if they were not Catholic. However, in the late 18th century, the Spanish took control of New Orleans and having a more militant and serious perspective on the faith, they imposed significant restrictions on the holiday revelry. Among them, they banned masked balls. However, by 1823, this ban was lifted and parades returned by 1837. At this point, the celebration began to lose its identity as an exclusively Catholic tradition and became more secularized over the centuries.

Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday and the Catholic Church

Mardi Gras is strongly associated with wild bacchanalia and debauchery, but the original intent of the holiday and how it's kept by the faithful is much different. Fat Tuesday, as it is known in English, is a long-standing tradition of the Catholic Church and it marks the last day of ordinary time before the start of Lent, a time of fasting and repentance. While the parties in Europe, South America, and parts of the United States have gained the most attention in popular culture, they seriously misrepresent and outright eclipse the Catholic intent of the holiday.

According to historians, the celebration of Mardi Gras has its roots in the pagan Roman celebration of Lupercalia. This was a February holiday and it honored the Roman god of fertility. It involved feasting, drinking, and carnal behavior.

However, with the rise of the Church in ancient Rome, Christian teaching and morals took root, but there always remained a strong need to blend ancient Roman traditional practices with the growing Christian faith. The blending of tradition with new religious beliefs was a common practice in the ancient world and it helped people to transition away from paganism. In fact, there are a number of ancient Roman traditions that persevere in the Roman Catholic

In Louisiana, Mardi Gras in an official state holiday. In other parts of the world, the holiday became a season unto itself each branded with unique cultural practices. For example, Venice, Italy is famous for the masked balls that take place on Mardi Gras and the days before. The Venetian tradition dates back to the 13th century and the city remains a popular Mardi Gras destination today. Still, the original intent of Mardi Gras has always been to indulge, within the context of Catholic morality and reason, the last day before the start of the Lenten season. Here, it is appropriate to mention that while Lent is a season of self-sacrifice and repentance, it is not meant to be a period of self-punishment or extreme hardship.

Source: https://www.catholic.org/lent/mardigras.php

February is Black History Month!

Fasting - Every person between the age of 18 and 59 must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting consists of one full meal per day, with two smaller meals that do not add up to a full meal, and no snacks.

Abstinence

Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat and items made with meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and every Friday of Lent.

Ash Wednesday – February 22

7:30am Mass

12noon Mass

3pm Prayer Service

6pm Mass

Stations of the Cross

Ashes will be distributed during the following services in the Church:

Every Friday in Lent immediately following the 12noon Mass in the Church (except March 17) Living Stations presented by our Teen Confirmation Candidates, Wednesday, March 22, 7pm, Church

Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration

Every Friday after the 12noon Mass in the Church (except March 17) Concludes with the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3pm, followed by Solemn Benediction

Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)

Every Saturday at 5pm in the Church

Reconciliation Monday, April 3 in the Church, times TBD

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Spoken Vespers every Friday at 5:10pm in the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Chapel (406 East 80th Street)

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities

Sundays – open and ongoing Adult Faith Formation in the Parish Center following the 12noon Mass

gathering for coffee, tea, and fellowship – facilitated discussion of the Sunday Scriptures and Catholic Teaching from 1:30-3pm – join us regularly or drop in any time

Men’s Bible Study – Tuesdays at 12noon in the Parish Center

Theology Thursdays - join us regularly or drop in any time, but please sign up at stelmo79.org

February 23

no session

March 2, 9, 16, & 23 – Catholic Voices presentations and discussions – more details to come March 30

How and Why We Celebrate Holy Week

7pm in the Parish Center

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

K-8 Religious Education and Sacramental Preparation:

• Participation in Sunday (or Saturday evening) Eucharist is an integral part of Religious Education for all ages in our parish. Children’s Liturgy of the Word is on hold for now, due to renovation work in the sacristy. A Children’s Homily is offered at the 10am Mass.

• K-8 Religious Education meets at 11:10am in the Parish Center.

• Upcoming – Family Faith Formation, Saturday, March 4, 2-5pm in the Church – this event will focus on the Eucharist, and is the Family Retreat for all First Communion Candidates (parish and school) – all K-8 families are invited as well, but this is required for all who will be celebrating First Communion this Spring!

Sacramental Preparation for Children & Teens

• Please remember that the Archdiocese requires two years of Religious Education or Catholic School prior to the celebration of First Penance/First Communion (2nd grade or older), and prior to the celebration of Confirmation (8th grade or older).

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 us on Sundays at 1:15pm in the Parish Center.

Adult Faith Formation Opportunities

• On Sundays, open and ongoing Adult Faith Formation takes place in the Parish Center after the noon Mass. We gather between 1:00 and 1:30pm for coffee, tea, and fellowship, then 1:30-3pm for a facilitated discussion of the Sunday Scriptures and the themes of Catholic Teaching that flow from those Scriptures. Drop in any time or participate regularly!

• Men’s Bible Study – our Group of Guys meet on Tuesdays at 12noon in the Parish Center – Please register online at stelmo79.org, or call 212-288-6250 so we have a head count to prepare materials.

• Theology Thursdays – every Thursday at 7pm in the Parish Center – Mini-series or standalone discussions on various topics of adult education. Check the website for more details at stelmo79.org!

Mercy throughout the Liturgy

Ihad the wonderful opportunity to spend two summers in Graz, Austria, with the American Institute of Musical Studies. It was a glorious experience, except for a few hours one day.

A friend and I were traveling across town to a laundromat, which involved walking to the tram with bags of laundry in tow and transferring to a bus to reach our destination. Getting off the bus, I noticed that something was missing—my purse! Panic doesn’t come close to what I felt. So much of what I needed, including my passport, was in my purse. I left my laundry with my friend and hopped on the next bus, trying to explain my crisis with my limited German.

A kind man who understood English took me to the city’s center for transportation. There, the staff looked at me with sympathetic eyes, encouraging me to check for my purse later but saying there was little chance I would get it back. After a couple of hours and many prayers to St. Anthony, I returned. This time their eyes were brighter. They reached into the lost-and-found cabinet and out came my purse. I looked inside and everything was there. My response was one of humility and gratitude.

Humility and gratitude are fundamental elements of liturgical prayer. For that reason, the Penitential Act follows soon after the priest’s greeting at the beginning of Mass. In the Penitential Act, the assembly humbly acknowledges that they often lose their way, while recognizing that God is always seeking the lost. With humility and gratitude to God’s faithfulness, the congregation prays, “Lord have mercy.” These words carry the realization that God’s mercy is greater than any sin.

God’s mercy is a subtle theme throughout the liturgy. In the Gloria we sing, “you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.” As the Scriptures are proclaimed, the assembly hears about God’s merciful love throughout salvation history—how God chose, again and again, to temper judgment with mercy to a sinful humanity.

In the Eucharistic Prayer comes a call for God’s mercy, as the priest says, “Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy”

(Eucharistic Prayer II).

The assembly prays the Lord’s Prayer, petitioning for mercy from God and also seeking to be merciful as they pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Before the table of the Lord is approached for Communion, the faithful pray, “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.”

While receiving Communion, people encounter the intimacy of God’s merciful love that was poured out in the death and Resurrection of Jesus.

At the Dismissal, the faithful are sent forth to be God’s mercy in the world. This mission was articulated especially with the dismissal text offered as an option during the Year of Mercy: “Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful. Go in peace.”

Just as Jesus showed mercy to those he encountered, God’s mercy is shown throughout the liturgy.

Five Minute Jesus

Using the Gospel for Prayer – First Sunday of Lent – February 26, 2023

It’s simple. 1. Read the Gospel for the following Sunday slowly, reflecting on the story it tells. 2. Reflect on the questions assigned for each day. 3. Make some resolution about how what you read can be lived that day. 4. Then thank God for speaking to you through this reflection.

The Gospel according to Matthew 4:1-11

At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.” Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Monday

Was there something in this reading that spoke to me? Comforted me? Challenged me? What was it? Why did it have this effect on me?

Tuesday

The Gospel says that Jesus was led into desert to be tempted. Nowadays we don’t have to go as far. What would the devil offer me in the desert? Jesus quoted Scripture each time to defend himself. What do I do?

Wednesday

Jesus’ first temptation is hunger for food; he had been fasting. We practice a faint reflection of this rigorous discipline when we “give up something” for Lent or when we abstain from meat on Lenten Fridays. Have I ever truly given something up for God? For someone else? What did I learn from that that I can use in my relationship with God?

Thursday

Jesus’ second temptation is pride; the devil challenged him to reveal that he was God’s Son by glorifying himself, rather than through the humility of the cross. It is still common to refer to suffering or a burden as our “cross”. What is my cross? Do I shoulder it willingly as Jesus would soon do, or would the devil’s offer sound good to me?

Friday

Jesus’ final temptation is power; He could rule the world, all he had to do is break one little commandment – which is of course the first of the ten Commandments – worship God alone. None of us believe we commit idolatry. And yet, each day we put things in our lives ahead of our worship and service of God. What have I done today to put God first in my life? (yes, this prayer counts).

Saturday

After Jesus’ temptation is finished, it says Angels came and ministered to him. The word Angel means “messenger”. Jesus was comforted, supported, strengthened by these messengers. Have I ever been ministered to by an angel? When was it? And what was God’s message for me? (Remember, they don’t all have wings).

Just a Word from our Pastor

From the Pastor 02.19.23

Lent 2023

If my columns have seemed a little disembodied these past few weeks it is because that, due to the vacation schedule of our office staff, our bulletins have had to be produced a few weeks in advance. Thus, I am taking the opportunity to be more thematic, rather than topical. Other parts of the bulletin will report on what is happening in the parish on a weekly basis, at least until I am back from Germany on Tuesday.

And just in the nick of time. Wednesday begins Lent. Lent has its roots in the very beginning of the Church’s history. The Book of Acts might style becoming a Christian as a simple affair – belief, baptism, and bingo! you’re in. In fact, that is true. However, the question is belief. Very early on, as the Church grew beyond being a Jewish sect with rather unique ideas about who the messiah is, we realized that a period of formation was needed before an adult could be baptized. That formation, which could take years, included a six-week period of intense spiritual preparation before baptism. Soon the whole community “walked with” those preparing for baptism during those six weeks, and the season of Lent was born.

This year, we do not have any candidates for baptism, though there will be people received into the Church who have been baptized in other traditions, and in the Easter Season we will celebrate adult confirmations.

Nevertheless, Lent is for everyone. It is a time where we refocus our lives on those spiritual disciplines that we let slide at other times of the year, and work to make them permanent.

Regular prayer is a part of Lent. For many that takes the form of reflection on the Sunday readings. Each week we publish in our bulletin a week of reflection questions on the upcoming Sunday Gospel called 5 Minute Jesus. We also publish it to Instagram and Facebook. Perhaps that can be a way this year to enter the season.

Fasting and Abstinence are also one of our Lenten duties. The Church stipulates that Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are required to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday Fasting means eating one meal’s worth of food that day, though it can be divided up into two smaller meals if need be. Abstinence is refraining from something during Lent. All Catholics are encouraged to do that. Abstinence gets reduced to “giving something up”. But perhaps abstinence can be understood more broadly to dedicate ourselves to something meaningful, and thus give up some time in our day or week. Maybe it is Bible reading or working in some way to help others in the parish or community.

Almsgiving means charitable giving. In the Church we speak of “Time, Talent and Treasure” as the three pillars of stewardship. Almsgiving emphasizes the “treasure” part. Giving to the Cardinal’s Appeal or other charitable organizations covers that. But almsgiving could also involve time or sharing a talent we have in service of others. Ever thought about trying out for choir? Or volunteering in our religious education program? These are ways to give alms as well.

It is wonderful that finally we are back to worshiping openly without the restrictions of the past three years. May this Lent be a time when we truly “come home” to Church through prayer, worship and service. In that way Easter will be a celebration, not only of Jesus’ resurrection, but ours as well.

Fr. Baker