Newsletter | August 22, 2023 |
|
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME |
|
JOIN US FOR MASS THIS WEEKEND |
|
Saturday at 5:00pm
Sunday at 9:00am
Sunday at 11:00am
GUEST PRIEST
This weekend we are blessed to have Fr. Alex celebrating all of our Masses.
PRACTICE OF FAITH
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." This Sunday, the gathered Church hears its faith declared by Peter for all time. For this, Peter becomes the steward and leader of the new Church, against which even death will not prevail. The intercessions of the Eucharistic prayer from the Order of Dedication of a Church and an Altar state that each church is to be "a house of salvation," where the "Gospel of peace resounds," and the faithful, on their pilgrim way, are formed and fed n order "to reach the eternal Jerusalem."
- Do you see your parish in this definition? What can you do to help your parish achieve this?
- Examine your relationship to the Church. What does it mean to you to be Church?
- Before or after Mass, say a prayer in thanksgiving for the nourishment you find in your parish. Consider becoming more involved in your parish by joining a smaller faith group within the parish.
We are doing our best to continue to provide a safe space to worship for everyone. Click here to see current COVID safety measures.
|
|
THE LETTER FILM SCREENING & PLANT-BASED BBQ
This Saturday, August 26 after the 5:00pm Mass
|
|
All are welcome to join us! The Letter builds on the teaching of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s encyclical on care of our common home and shares the real stories of people from around the world who come together on a transformative journey to Rome and beyond. For more information or to volunteer to help with the event, please contact Susan, sweaver@sjvkirkland.org.
|
|
BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS
This Sunday, August 27 at the end of the 11:00am Mass
|
|
Bring your backpacks for our special back-to-school blessing, and receive a bag tag to remind you of Christ’s presence while you are at school! |
|
Please review the Partners in the Gospel materials available to become more familiar with the overall mission of the Church, the goals of this effort, and the process we are undertaking. We ask everyone to pray for this renewal effort. |
|
Thank you to all who helped host the funeral reception for Ludy Briones last Wednesday - Emmett & Laurie Sullivan, Mary Torbenson, Connie Lambert, and Melina Lund. You bring light to families going through a very difficult time. God bless you!
If you are interested in helping with the mission of “burying the dead,” we would love to have more hospitality people to help with funeral receptions. Please contact the parish office for more information.
|
|
Our pilgrims are on their way home from Our Lady of Peace, Mount Angel Abbey, and The Grotto in Oregon. Lord, nurture their fellowship on their journey. |
|
PRAY THE ROSARY
Sundays at 8:30am in the Chapel
|
|
Starting this Sunday, we invite you to gather together to pray the Rosary as a parish family before the 9:00am Mass. |
|
CELEBRATION OF CULTURES PARISH PICNIC
PLANNING
Sunday, September 3 at 10:00am in the Social Hall
|
|
If you signed up to help with a cultural booth, this is your time to plan! Each cultural group will meet at a marked table then decide how you want to share your culture.
If your group would like to meet at a separate time and/or place, please contact Ana, aklepper@sjvkirkland.org, for a Parish Picnic Planning Form.
|
|
Our next hike will be at Cherry Creek Falls Trail in Duvall. This is a 4.8-mile trail, moderately challenging, with 646 feet total elevation. Parking is limited to the shoulder of Mountain View Road only. Please contact Susan, sweaver@sjvkirkland.org, if you would like to meet at 8:30am to carpool from SJV or if you will be joining us at the trailhead so we know who to wait for.
|
|
CELEBRATION OF CULTURES PARISH PICNIC
SET UP
Saturday, September 16 at 10:00am
|
|
Big, strong folks! Please come help us set up the big top and canopies the day before the Parish Picnic! Many hands make LIGHT work! |
|
ADULT FAITH FORMATION CLASSES
Starting in September
|
|
RACIAL JUSTICE AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
As we as a people of faith continue to struggle with the issue of racism in society and in the church, it appears that, while there is a unanimous recognition that racism Is sinful or evil, there is little shared agreement about what racism is. Also surprisingly, there is almost never an attempt to provide a Biblical or theological underpinning for the rejection of racism. In addition, in both Christianity and Catholicism in America, there is rarely a consistent emphasis or recommended course of action for combatting racism. As a result, for many of the unchurched, the Catholic Church appears to be largely indifferent to the issue of racism and social justice. However, both individually and as the people of God as a whole, we can deepen our understanding of racism, repent of racism, begin to actively promote racial justice, and so fulfill our mission of imitating Christ in the world. One of the ways to do this is to directly confront racism through study.
Each Thursday evening at 7:00 P.M. starting on September 21, 2023, we will examine the relationship of the Catholic Church to racism. The class is online using Zoom; all sessions are recorded and will be available on the SJV Kirkland Adult Faith Formation Channel on YouTube. The class will focus on Fr. Bryan Massingale’s book Racial Justice and the Catholic Church, (available as a Kindle edition from Amazon or as a free one-hour loan from Internet Archive) along with Conor Kelly’s book, Racism & Structural Sin (available as a Kindle edition from Amazon). To register, please call the parish office or sign up at the welcome table in the narthex.
STUDY OF THE PATRISTIC TRADITION
As Catholics, our faith has been preserved and handed down to us over the course of almost 2,000 years. A critical role in preserving and further articulating the faith of Jesus and the Apostles was played by the Patristic Fathers and Mothers during the first eight centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection. Yet today, despite Vatican II’s call to return to the Patristic tradition, we’ve virtually lost sight of the Patristic Fathers and their contributions to our faith. Often, the best we can say is, “I’ve heard of her (or him).” Join us as we study the Patristic tradition and, in the process, learn more about our faith and who we are as Catholics. The class will be held remotely via Zoom on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM starting on September 18, 2023. The course text is Mike Aquilina’s The Fathers of the Church, 3rd Edition, available in a Kindle edition from Amazon. To register, please call the parish office or sign up at the welcome table in the narthex.
|
|
REFLECTIONS ON CARING FOR OUR COMMON HOME
What is the Cost of the Meat We Eat?
|
|
If you’ve ever driven through parts of the San Juaquin Valley in Central California, you’ve probably noticed the stench and, quite possibly, had difficulty breathing. The stench and foul air come from factory farms whose animal waste is emitted as ammonia from lagoons and combines with other molecules in the air to become ammonia nitrate. It is a very visible sign of the danger that factory farming poses to the animals themselves, to the environment, and to our health. It suggests that there are far more serious hidden costs that lurk behind the monetary cost of our meat and dairy products.
Factory farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations, are agricultural establishments that house over 1,000 animals for at least 45 days per year, with the animals not fed from pasture land. In other words, factory farms aim to maximize output while minimizing costs. As a result, animals on factory farms are not allowed to rear their offspring, are confined to extremely cramped and poorly ventilated areas, and often never even encounter real soil. Federal regulations offer some protection to farm animals other than poultry, but only during transport and when slaughtered. State laws typically exclude farm animals from animal cruelty laws, and some states even have enacted laws that criminalize whistleblowing on factory farms. Farm animals, in short, often live lives filled with abuse.
In addition to issues related to the ethical treatment of animals, factory farms adversely affect the environment in ways that are subtle and indirect. For example, their growth has led to deforestation and a loss of biodiversity in areas with factory farming. The intensive use of farmland to house and to feed animals has led to soil depletion. More directly, factory farms are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, which derive from animal digestion and waste. In addition, animal waste, unlike human waste, is not treated before it is released into the environment. Animal waste is typically stored in man-made lagoons, but when these fill, the waste is either sprayed on fields or runs into groundwater.
Finally, because animals are housed in crowded, unsanitary conditions, they are extremely susceptible to disease. To keep them as healthy as possible, animals are force-fed antibiotics as a preventative measure. This dosing practice creates antibiotic-resistant pathogens. According to 2019 data from the CDC, there are about 2.8 million infections (or about 1 out of every 120 Americans) and 35,000 deaths annually caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Globally, a study based on data from the World Health Organization showed that almost 5 million people died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant diseases.
We contribute to the factory farms’ animal abuse, degradation of the environment, and undermining public health whenever we purchase meat or dairy products produced on factory farms. This means that, as consumers, we can have an enormous impact on the environment by changing our behavior. In particular, we can:
- Purchase meat or dairy products raised or produced on family farms. Family farms typically treat their animals far better, don’t apply antibiotics as a preventative measure, and create far less animal waste. Family farms also stimulate local economies in ways that factory farms do not.
- Begin eating more meatless dishes. These meat replacements include:
- Eggplant, which is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients.
- Beans, peas, and lentils, which are sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
- Tofu, which is rich in protein and amino acids.
- Plant-based meat. Plant-based meat products (such as ground beef, beef crumbles, chicken tenders, sausages, hot dogs, and beef slices) often taste as good as, or even better than, their meat-based equivalents.
YOU ARE INVITED TO A MEATLESS BARBEQUE!
This Saturday, August 26, after 5:00 mass, the Social Justice Commission at SJV is sponsoring a meatless barbeque. It will feature: tofu sauteed in sesame oil as an appetizer; along with meatless chili made with beef crumbles, plant-based hamburgers, plant-based sausages, plant-based hot dogs, as a main course; and plant-based chocolate mousse as a dessert. It will be followed by a screening of The Letter, a documentary that is in many ways a sequel to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.
|
|
RUMMIKUB
Tonight - Tuesday, August 22 at 7:00pm in the Social Hall
|
|
We meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month for 3 or 4 games, then finish with the Left, Center, Right dice game. You do not need to know how to play. Both games are simple and quick to learn, and old timers will be happy to help you. Open to everyone! Hope to see you!
|
|
AUCTION PLANNING MEETING
Tomorrow - Wednesday, August 23 at 5:30pm
|
|
There will be a planning meeting this Wednesday - look for signage to figure out which room we are in. All are invited and welcome! |
|
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Friday, September 1 after 9:00am Weekday Adoration & Mass
|
|
Anointing of the sick is available every first Friday of the month. Anointing of the Sick imparts consolation, peace, and strength and unites the sick person, in her/his precarious situation and her/his sufferings, with Christ in a profound way. Anyone is welcome to receive an anointing. |
|
"YOU ARE THE VINE, WE ARE THE BRANCHES"
GALA DINNER & AUCTION
Saturday, November 4 after the 4:00pm Mass
|
|
We are looking forward to a fun night of good food and good friends – all while supporting the works of SJV.
Thank you to everyone who has donated the corks for decorations, we have plenty now. We are still in need of the wooden wine boxes.
Not sure you want to buy a ticket to the Gala? We are looking for volunteers at every level, so those interested in joining an auction committee can contact Ann V. at avandewark@sjvkirkland.org. If you need some guidance on where you would best fit, she can help you decide where you would most enjoy volunteering, and make sure you’re comfortable!
Don’t forget about our procurement challenge! We encourage participants to approach three businesses for donations, with support provided through prepared letters and strategies. If you didn’t receive your packet with the letter and helpful tips, pick one up at the welcome table. Thank you for everyone’s support at SJV!
We will be having a planning meeting on Wednesday, August 23 at 5:30pm - look for signage to figure out which room we are in. All are invited and welcome!
|
|
This information was presented in past newsletters. |
|
STYROFOAM RECYCLING
Sunday, September 17 from 10:00am - 3:00pm
|
|
CELEBRATION OF CULTURES PARISH PICNIC
Sunday, September 17 from 12:00-3:00pm on the South Lawn
|
|
SJV VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
How can you best use your gifts?
|
|
ASSOCIATED CATHOLIC CEMETERIES
Peace of Mind When You Need It Most!
|
|
Representatives from Associated Catholic Cemeteries will be at our parish this weekend to share information about the many choices and benefits available through pre-planning at your Catholic Cemetery. Planning long before there is an urgent need ensures arrangements in harmony with your faith. Pre-planning allows family members to make calm, levelheaded decisions, as opposed to making emotionally charged decisions while grieving a significant loss. The Church teaches us that the custom of burying the bodies of the dead should be observed, even for those who choose cremation. Please stop by their table in the narthex this weekend to ask questions, gather information, and sign up for a 15% discount being offered to our parishioners this month.
(206) 366-8834
|
|
SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE
Monday, August 28 at the Holy Family Social Hall, Kirkland
|
|
“Thank you so much for your blood donation. You’re helping my 9-year-old battle severe aplastic anemia and he requires weekly platelets and blood transfusions. I cannot thank you enough!”
Stay cool for an hour, relax with your feet up in an air-conditioned space, while saving a life. Blood donors are needed more than ever!
Please book an appointment using the button below, and on blood donation day, make sure you are well hydrated, have eaten a good meal, and that you check in with photo ID.
|
|
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR NEWSLETTER SPONSORS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
