Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 15/16, 2020
Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on the true state of our hearts as it relates to stewardship. Do we think of stewardship as something we take care of once a year, merely a matter of ticking off boxes on a commitment card? Or do we choose to embrace it as spirituality and a way of life that allows us to grow in conformity to Christ every day?
Our first reading, from the book of Sirach, teaches that our good God has given us the freedom to make this choice: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments.” “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” What great dignity the Father bestows on us that He does not force us to commit to Him, instead He allows us the freedom to choose Him, even though He absolutely does not want us to reject Him through selfishness and sin. (We read at the end of this passage, “No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.”)
Our second reading, from Corinthians, reminds us of the great joy that will be ours if we do choose to commit to God by the way we live our lives. “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard… what God has prepared for those who love him.” Our Heavenly Father is more eager than we can comprehend to fill us with His grace and blessings. But we must choose Him. How do we do this? By keeping His commandments as our first reading instructs; by putting the teachings of our Lord and the Church into practice every day,
The concept of stewardship helps us to live out the fundamental choice to put God first. Stewardship is not meant to be a mere external exercise in which we participate on an occasional basis. It is intended to be embraced as a way of life, a life that involves a continuous conversion of heart.
In our Gospel passage, from Matthew, Jesus illustrates the difference between an external observance of the law and a true conversion of heart. He says to His disciples, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees were the spiritual heavyweights of their day. They checked all the boxes when it came to the proper exercise of the religious practices required of them. Yet our Lord says it wasn’t enough.
Why? They did not allow those practices to penetrate their hearts and change them internally. Jesus explains with a further illustration saying, “You have heard that it was said… you shall not kill… But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Our Lord is asking us not only for exterior acts, but for an actual change of heart. In stewardship terms, that means seeing everything as a gift from Him, to be used for His glory and the good of others.
In the week ahead, let us examine the state of our hearts to ask ourselves if we have chosen to allow stewardship to become a way of life for us. Only then will we experience its true depth and heart-changing possibilities.
The choice is ours.
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Wednesday, February 12
- 6:00 p.m. SPBH Meeting - Rectory Room A
- 6:30 p.m. Dartball - Hall
- 6:30 p.m. Gym Unavailable
Thursday, February 13
- 7:30 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 2:45 p.m. Youth Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal - Music Room
- 5:15 p.m. Love One Another CEC Meeting - Hall
- 6:00 p.m. Adult Hand Bell Choir - Music Room
- 6:00 p.m. Girl Scouts Meeting - Multi-Purpose Room
Friday, February 14
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Confessions during Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
Saturday, February 15
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Confessions during Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion, Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 6:30 p.m. School Father/Daughter Dance - Hall
SCRIP and Small Plates, Big Hearts!
ticket sales after 4:30 p.m. Mass
Sunday, February 16
- 9:00 a.m. Grade School RE Classes - School
- 10:30 a.m. Children's Liturgy of the Word
- 2:00 p.m. CUF Meeting - Hall
- 6:00 p.m. High School and Confirmation Classes - School
SCRIP and Small Plates, Big Hearts!
ticket sales after all Masses
Monday, February 17
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 6:30 p.m. SVdP Conference Meeting - Multi-Purpose Room
Tuesday, February 18
- 7:30 a.m. Mass followed by St. Anthony Devotion, Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
- 1:00 p.m. Consoling the Heart of Jesus - Room A
- 2:45 p.m. Youth Choir Rehearsal - Music Room
- 7:00 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal - Music Room
Wednesday, February 19
- 8:00 a.m. Mass followed by Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
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Small Plates, Big Hearts!
A Night at St. John's
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Food stations from a variety of local restaurants!
Come and enjoy the food, drinks, music, raffles, and an online silent auction. Click
here for
more information.
Tickets are now available. The presale ticket price is $25.
On the day of the event, the price will be $35
To purchase tickets online, click
here!
Delicious tasting food from contributors including:
Red Onion, That's Amore, Double B's BBQ, Mexican Village,
Carrabba's Italian Grill, Jimmy John's, and more!
We are now accepting auction and raffle donations for our event! As you are shopping look for the following items that make for a successful auction: electronics, jewelry, sports/outdoor equipment, household items, timeshares, sporting event tickets, sports memorabilia, spa items, etc.
If you would like to give SCRIP gift cards for our event please click
here
for the flyer and follow the instructions.
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Consoling the Heart of Jesus
Session 5
Session 5, the conclusion of the "Consoling the Heart of Jesus" series will be held on Tuesday, February 18, at 1:00 p.m. in Room A. During this session, there will be a group discussion of "The Insensitivity of Our Hearts" (Part Two) and conclusion, focusing on pages 140 - 195 of the book.
SESSION 4 RECAP
This past week, we gained new insights into how we can ask Mary to teach us to console and love Jesus, heal the hardness of our hearts, and develop hearts full of compassion for our neighbor.
If you have any questions, please contact
Laura Lee at 414-840-0261
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CDs from Augustine Institute
Did you know we have CDs (and other items) located in the narthex? Each week we will highlight one of the available CDs.
Cost is $4 each.
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How can we evangelize an unbelieving world? In this talk, Ken Hensley uses simple, effective logic to show how the atheistic worldview inevitably leads to contradictions that can’t hold up to sound reasoning. After hearing this talk, you will be empowered to conclusively demonstrate how unbelief leads to the destruction of morality, meaning, and even knowledge.
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Whether you want to buy your sweetie a special gift, take them to dinner, or take them on a world-wind trip, think of SCRIP. We can handle all your giving needs. When you purchase SCRIP, St. John's will receive a percentage. Click
here to view and print our order form. If you would like to set up an online account our enrollment code is
18DE7D4F11822
.
We order on Mondays and have them ready to be picked up no later than Thursday each week.
Upcoming SCRIP weekends are February 15/16 and March 7/8. As always, SCRIP is available in the Parish Office during regular business hours.
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This program allows .5% of your shopping on Amazon to be donated to St. John the Evangelist.
If you purchase Scrip, St. John's receives an additional 2.25%. That's 2.75% of your purchases to St. John's if you are already shopping Amazon.
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Track and Futsal Sign-ups
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Men's Retreat
A retreat for men will be held Friday, March 13, to Sunday, March 15, at the Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Oconomowoc. The weekend begins with check-in between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. The program starts at 7:00 p.m. and runs through noon on Sunday. Carpooling is available.
For details and/or to sign up, call Ron at 414-448-7117
or the Retreat Center at 262-567-6900
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33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat
Coming Soon! To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II's proclamation of the first Sunday after Easter as the Feast of Divine Mercy, St. John's will be offering Father Michael Gaitley's 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat. This is a six-week study that will go deeper into what Divine Mercy is with the help of the spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux's Little Way and St. Faustina's Diary. It begins Monday, March 2, at 6:45 p.m. in the Hall and Tuesday, March 3 at 1:00 p.m. in Room A. The retreat will culminate with the Consecration (or re-Consecration for those that have done this) after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19.
Sign up is next weekend. See the flyer in the bulletin this weekend. All are welcome.
For more information,
call or text Chris Wichgers at 414-507-7660
or Laura Lee Wierzbinski at 414-840-0261
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Jesus and the End Times
Parishioners are invited to a one-day retreat on Saturday, March 7, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Hall. The program is based on Dr. Brant Pitre's DVD series, Jesus and the End Times. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. There will be a free-will offering.
If you h
ave ever wondered what the Bible teaches about what will happen at the End of Time, this program is for you. Many Catholics have heard about “the Rapture,” the coming of the “Antichrist,” and the "Second Coming," but are unsure exactly what to believe about these topics. Moreover, while Protestant Christians are often well-versed in the study of the “end times,” Catholics are often unfamiliar with what the Bible actually teaches.
Many Christians are unaware that the Catholic Church has very explicit teachings about the Tribulation, the Antichrist, the Second Coming, and the New Creation. In this detailed Bible study on the end times, Dr. Pitre brings clarity and precision to the confusion that frequently surrounds the doctrine of the end times, by answering crucial questions such as:
- What is the meaning of Jesus’ prophecies of tribulation and the coming of the Son of Man?
- Are we in the “end times” now?
- Why did Jesus prophesy the destruction of the Temple, and how does it relate to the End of the World?
- Is the Protestant belief in a secret “Rapture” a biblical teaching or a false doctrine?
- What will the Final Judgment be like, and how will we be judged?
If you have ever wondered about where this world is heading and what the ultimate destiny of humanity is, then don’t miss this powerful study of the truth about what the Bible and the Catholic Church teach about the last days.
Watch this newsletter for further information
or call Austin Rahill at 414-321-8922.
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The newsletter is published on Wednesdays. Articles for each week's publication are due on Mondays at noon.
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"Remember God's Will in Yours!"
Please keep the needs of St. John the Evangelist in mind as you do your estate planning. For information on how to include the parish as a beneficiary, contact the Parish Office at 414-321-1965.
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