Dear St. Thomas Aquinas Families,
As a reminder, this will be our last Sunday newsletter as we shift focus to preparing for our Fall 2020 Faith Formation Program. We hope that you have enjoyed journeying in faith with us these past 2 months!
Again, the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation have been postponed until the Fall. We will reach out as soon as we have new information on these changes.
Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or needs over the next few months. You are always in our prayers!
God bless,
The Faith Formation Team
Marie Masaitis (mmasaitis@sta-parish.org)
Caitlin Mack (cmack@sta-parish.org)
Kristine Smith (faithformation@sta-parish.org)
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Reading 1
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
"Repent and be baptized...
Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
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Today Peter calls us to REPENT and be baptized! Peter so fervently desired for others to come to know the truth of who Jesus is. His efforts brought thousands to the Jesus faith through Baptism!
Over the past few weeks as we have read Peter's speeches, we can hear a sense of urgency in his words. We are reminded that the only path to God is through Jesus! We cannot truly free ourselves from corruption and sin until we accept the truth of who Jesus is and pursue our faith through the cleansing sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation.
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Reflection:
As we go through this Easter season do you feel a renewed desire to seek Jesus more and pursue forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconciliation?
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Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 23
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"The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want."
As we reflect on this beautiful imagery of God being a "good shepherd", we are reminded of God's fearless love and protection of us, his flock. Like a shepherd, God watches over us and guides our every step. He will never abandon us!
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Reflection:
When was a time that you felt God clearly guiding your path and protecting you?
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Reading 2
1 Peter 2:20B-25
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"If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps."
Peter reminds us that Jesus set the example as to how we should respond and act when we are persecuted for doing the right thing. One of the most challenging experiences of being a Christian is facing persecution and hatred for standing up and doing the right thing or saying the truth.
Reflection:
Was there ever a time when you suffered even though you did what was right? Were you able to persevere through the suffering and find strength in Jesus? Or did it feel close to impossible to keep pushing forward?
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Gospel
John 10:1-10
“I am the gate.”
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Throughout the Gospel of John, you will discover seven
" I am"
statements that Jesus made. Unlike Mark's Gospel, for example, which revolves around this idea of the
"Messianic Secret"
(that Jesus' identity is kept secret), in John's Gospel there is no question about who Jesus is. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Son of God. Throughout John's account, Jesus gives long, bold, allegory filled speeches emphasizing who he is and what his mission is.
In today's Gospel, Jesus reveals to us that he is "the gate". We cannot get to heaven except through him. A beautiful image is drawn of Jesus being the good shepherd who goes first to "open the gate" and leads his "flock" (us) to heaven. Similarly to what we see in Jesus' parables, Jesus tries to explain who he is by using an image of a shepherd which is something his audience could understand and relate to. In this reading, it is noted that despite Jesus' best efforts the Pharisees fail to understand what he was trying to say. What is interesting is that Jesus seems to realize that revealing himself as the Son of God is such an overwhelming idea for his audience to wrap their heads around regardless of whether they are educated Pharisees or common farmers. So, he tries his best to meet people where they are at.
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Reflection:
Just as Jesus leads us to heaven, how do you hope to live like Jesus so others will be led to heaven as well through your example?
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As a result of this summer's service trip being postponed, there are more spaces opening up for interested up-and-coming 8th grade students!
Catholic Heart Workcamp
is a fantastic opportunity for your teen to serve God and others during this 1 week service trip.
Please e-mail Jen Rosher if your teen is interested!
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Free Virtual Conference: May 2020
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May 8th-10th
Hosted by Theology of the Body Institute, the
TOB Virtual Conferenc
e May 8-10 will feature 50+ of the most prominent speakers and artists who will share their "ache" and joy with you — showing how St. John Paul II Theology of the Body applies to everyday life, how it will transform your prayer life, how it can bring healing of the deepest wounds in yourself and with others, and how it will bring your Catholic faith alive in new and brilliant ways.
*This conference is particularly relevant for our 8th grade students who were doing the
Theology of the Body
program this year as well as our high school and college -age students.
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Kids Bible Games Website!
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Learning the Catholic faith takes practice!
"Bible Activities Zone"
is a fun online game website that has tons of options for games to learn from! This is a great way to practice names in the Bible, Bible stories knowledge, and just have fun!
Types of Games:
memory games, jigsaw puzzles, matching, mazes, connect the dots, hangman, Bible trivia, crosswords, coloring, and so much more!
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Visit our website to stay up-to-date with Parish news!
Grow in faith through the daily reflections and many faith resources provided.
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St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
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stthomasaquinas.com
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