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Lent Begins on Valentine's Day | Confirmation | What Mark Says | Life | Flex?
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From our Pastor
Do you know that Lent begins this year on Valentine’s Day? I was asked this past weekend if there is a special dispensation from fasting and abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday this year. I really do not now. I have not seen anything from the Chancery office or the Archbishop about a special dispensation for Valentine’s Day, which falls on Ash Wednesday.
Usually, adults from age 19 to 65 must fast on Ash Wednesday. That means only one full meal that day and the other two meals must not amount to a full meal. Also, it is a day of abstinence from all meat. Anyone over the age of 12 must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday. So that means that Valentine’s Day cannot be celebrated with a wonderful dinner of meat and potatoes with a loved one. You can have the potatoes but you cannot have the meat. You can have seafood or vegetarian meals that day, but unless you are a vegetarian, you might not feel like celebrating without a steak or some kind of meat.
Hopefully, we will hear from the Archbishop with some kind of guidance as to what we can or cannot eat that day.
Happy Ash Wednesday!
Happy St. Valentine’s Day.
In the Peace of Jesus,
-Fr. Dick
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Calendar of the week of Feb. 5 - Feb. 11
Monday, February 5th
Mass, Church 9:00 AM
Rosary, Church 10:00 AM
Funeral Mass, Church 11:00 AM
Funeral , Reception UP All 12:00 PM
School Clubs, UP1 3:00 PM
CYO, Family Center 3:30 PM
OCIA, Parish Hall 7:00 PM
Tuesday, February 6th
Mass, Church 9:00 AM
Rosary, Church 9:30 AM
School Clubs, Parish Hall & UP1 3:00 PM
CYO, Family Center 3:30 PM
Knights of Columbus, Parish Hall 7:00 PM
Scouts, UP1,2 7:00 PM
Wednesday, February 7th
Girl Scouts, UP1&2 2:15 PM
School Clubs, Parish Hall & UP2 2:15 PM
CYO, Family Center 3:30 PM
Adult Basketball, Family Center 7:00 PM
Thursday, February 8th
Mass, Church 9:00 AM
Rosary, Church 9:30 AM
St. Joseph’s Circle, UP3 10:00 AM
School Clubs, Parish Hall & UP1 3:00 PM
CYO, Family Center 3:30 PM
Music Theory, Parish Hall 5:30 PM
Tiger Den, UP1 6:00 PM
Pastoral Council, Parish Hall 7:00 PM
Friday, February 9th
Mass, Church 9:00AM
Rosary, Church 9:30 AM
Funeral Mass, Church 11:00 AM
Saturday, February 10th
Funeral Mass, Church 11:00 AM
Funeral Reception, UP2,3,K 12:00PM
Faith Formation, UP2,3 3:30 PM
Confession, Church 4:00 PM
Vigil Mass, Church 5:00 PM– live streamed
Sunday, February 11th
Mass, Church 8:00 AM
OCIC, UP1,2 9:00 AM
Mass, Church 10:00 AM
Breaking Open the Word, UP1 10:30 AM
ROBERT STREET*
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH @11:00AM
DELORES CARLO
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH @11:00AM
BONNIE TICE*
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH @ 11:00AM
BRUCE PAQUETTE*
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH @ 11:00AM
* Reception to Follow
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We appreciate the support of the fine members of the business community whose ads appear on the back of the printed bulletin and at the bottom of this emailed bulletin. With their generosity we are able to have a printed weekly bulletin at no cost to us from LPi. | |
Read Archbishop Etienne's annual letter to the people of Western Washington
In archbishop's letter, he looks back on what happened over 2023 while looking forward to the coming year. Click on the first page to download the 3 page PDF or click here
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Bible Study
A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother
By Dr. Edward Sri
A new adult study is beginning February 21st! We will meet each Wednesday at 12:30 or 7:00 in Unity Place or on Zoom at 7 PM. You choose. The dates will be 2/21; 2/28; 3/6; 3/13; 3/20; 4/3; 4/10; 4/17.
Purchase your materials directly from Ascension Press. (See link below).
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Confirmation News
Catherine Szeibert | cszeibert@stfoa-parish.org
I am so proud of the 2024 Confirmandi Class! When I first started teaching Confirmation in the Fall, I asked the students four questions: Who are you? What is your purpose? What matters most? What matters least? At the beginning of our time, the kids were baffled and unsure how to answer those questions. Months later, I asked them the same questions and their responses demonstrated their growth and wisdom: “I am a child of God.” “My purpose is to love God, my family and others.” “My purpose is to be happy and holy.” “What matters most is my relationship with God and getting to heaven.”
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I am so proud of all the young people who have made this journey in faith and have completed their initiation into the Catholic family! God has an amazing plan for you. A mission and task, designed specifically for you. His love is always there for you, but you have to cooperate with his grace and develop the virtues.
The world says to be beautiful. Mother Teresa says, “Do something beautiful. Do something with your life, do it for God, do it in your own way, Just do it.”
Congratulations Confirmandi! We are so proud and excited to see where God will take you.
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Faith Formation
Cheryl Brooten | cbrooten@stfoa-parish.org
What Mark says
We are in cycle B of the Sunday Liturgical readings, which means the bulk of the Gospel readings will come from Mark. Mark’s gospel is the shortest, and most scholars believe, was written earliest, around 70 AD. In Mark, we do not hear anything about Jesus’ infancy or early years. Jesus appears on the scene as an adult, preaching a message of repentance and the coming of God’s kingdom. Some scholars believe that Jesus was a follower of John before breaking out on his own.
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One thing is certain, the gospel writers are very careful to a) characterize John in a positive light and b) demonstrate Jesus’ superiority. Some of John’s disciples, most notably Andrew, leave John to follow Jesus. John baptizes Jesus, but only because Jesus allows it. It is here, with the baptism of Jesus, that Mark starts his gospel.
In his baptism, the Holy Spirit announces Jesus’ identity as God’s beloved Son. That same Spirit immediately sends him out into the desert to endure the worst temptations a human person can imagine. Will the human Jesus be obedient to the Father? Or will he succumb to the devil’s lies like his predecessor Adam? There are only two verses in Mark describing the temptations in the wilderness, and presumably Jesus succeeds, because Mark next tells us that Jesus begins the proclamation of the gospel in Galilee after learning John had been arrested. His message is very like that of John’s: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus adds another critical line however, “The kingdom of God is at hand!”
That is a messianic cry. The Messiah was to restore God’s kingdom on earth according to the Davidic covenant promises. The hidden in plain sight secret of Mark’s gospel is who is the Messiah. The readers are intended to see that it is course, Jesus; however, according to Mark, Jesus himself tried very hard to not let the truth be known, to keep his identity a secret until the end. As we shall see over the course of the year reading Mark, keeping his identity a secret was very difficult. Everywhere Jesus went, he gathered crowds, healed people, and challenged them to repent and believe the gospel. The challenge remains the same for us. Will we repent? Will we believe the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand? Will we accept Jesus’ summons to follow him? These are not idle questions! A decided ‘yes’ must mark the beginning of the Christian’s journey, the journey we begin anew at the start of every day.
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Liturgy - The mindset of Lent - I’ve been prayerfully, pondering this. For me, it includes really raw, emotion and my innermost feelings, troubles, and thoughts.
Prayer for me, is the outpouring, or the surge of my heart. It is a simple look, yet complicated, turned, inwardly, and yet turned also toward heaven. It is a cry of recognition, and of love, embracing trials, tribulation, and joy. We are asked to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer, and reading scripture, to offering service by giving alms, and to practice self-control. It causes me to reflect upon both the fruits of the spirit and the 7 deadly sins.
Let’s start with the Fruits of the Spirit - The fruits of the spirit refers to a list of virtues, and character traits, outlined in the New Testament. They are as follows:
Love - This is often seen as a foundational virtue, and the greatest of all. It refers to selfless, sacrificial, love for others, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Love one another as I have loved you.
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Joy - Christian joy is not dependent on any circumstance. It is yet a deep sense of contentment and gladness that comes from a personal relationship with God. It is not conditional, it is rather unconditional.
Peace - Refers to inner peace, reconciliation with God, and living in harmony with others. It is about asking forgiveness of those whom we offended, have hurt, or for some reason, abandoned.
Patience - Involves being slow to anger, and showing constant patient towards others, even in challenging circumstances. Always listening with both ears, and your heart.
Kindness - It is a quality of being friendly, generous, compassionate , and considerate towards others. Often putting their needs before ones own.
Goodness– Goodness, signifies moral excellence, and integrity in one’s character and actions.
Always remembering that you, and your body, is the holy temple for the living God.
Faithfulness - This virtue relates to loyalty, reliability, and trustworthiness in one’s commitments and relationships.
The Seven Deadly Sins - These sins refer to behaviors and habits that are considered among the most cardinal under Christian teachings. Ironically, the seven deadly do not appear explicitly in the Bible. However, each of these sins get ample mention throughout the Bible. They include:
Pride
Greed
Wrath
Lust
Envy
Gluttony
Sloth
Seven deadly sins often stand in obvious contrast to the seven heavenly virtues, which include:
Prudence
Justice
Temperance
Courage
Faith
Hope
Charity
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Lenten Penance Service - Please save the date for our next penance service. Monday, March 25th at 7 PM. It will be an event filled with reflective music, scripture readings, a conscious awareness of a personal moral inventory, your act of contrition, forgiveness and penance.
We look forward to seeing you.
Lenten Soup Suppers - Soup suppers will begin the first Friday of Lent, February 15th at 5 PM in Unity.
Our hosts are:
February 16th - Scouts
February 23rd - Pastoral Council
March 1st - Finance Council
March 8th - Sister Parish
March 15th - Girl Scouts
March 22nd - Life - Justice - Peace
What to bring: Bring a bowl and spoon from home, and a cup for your beverage for coffee, tea, or water.
Your Lenten meager meal will be: A variety of 2 different soups, bread or dinner rolls, with peanut butter and jelly.
Please come and join us for this beautiful traditional Lenten celebration. There will be great food and fabulous fellowship. I look forward to seeing you there.
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God's Plan for Love
February 4th, 6PM
St. Mary Magdalen Church, Everett, WA
Talk 1: Lust vs. Love 6:00pm
Why is Chastity such an important virtue? How can we practice it and why should we? This talk is geared toward teens and mature middle schoolers and their parents, but all are welcome who are interested in learning more about Catholic teaching about sexuality:
Talk 2: God Can Heal Your Family's Issues 7:15pm
In this talk, Paul draws on his experience as a marriage and family therapist to share a message of hope for couples and families with God's help, you can change the cycle of conflict within your family, and Paul offers practical lips and inspiration. This talk is wonderful. for parents, engaged and married couples, or anyone who is part of a family!
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The Printed Version of the Bulletin
Download and read our printed bulletin in PDF HERE. This one is what you will pickup after Mass when you come to church. It is a bit different than this emailed version which often has last minute updates.
These links go to the LPi St. Francis page so you can see some of the ads and visit them and remark how nice they are for supporting our bulletins.
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Technology Outreach
Rick Fleehart | rfleehart@stfoa-parish.org
Google ChromeOS Flex may be a better choice A few bulletins ago, I said that you can install Linux operating system on an old computer. Linux is better for people like to fool with computers. Microsoft Windows or macOS insulate you from a lot of real technical issues. ChromeOS insulates you even more. If you would rather not have to fool with a command line text entry in Linux, then Google's ChromeOS Flex might be a great option.
Google's ChromeOS Flex can turn almost any computer into a Chromebook. If you have children in the school or in the public school, your child probably has used a ChromeBook. Our school has hundreds of ChromeBooks. A ChromeBook is a lot like a Apple iPad with a keyboard. The Chromebook updates itself when needed. It is difficult for viruses to infect a Chromebook because the operating system resets itself each time you start the computer up.
If you installed Linux on an old laptop, you can still install ChromeOS Flex. I just did that on one of the 15" Dell laptops that I had previously installed Linux Mint. ChromeOS Flex comes with the Chrome browser (surprise), along with connecting to Google's whole ecosystem of online and offline apps (text editing, spreadsheets).
Before you start the installing process, search for "chromeos flex" and watch the video (s). My instructions, below are more of an overview. To get a Chromebook-like computer, you only need a computer that you are willing to convert to Flex entirely, a USB thumb drive, a Gmail account, and access to your WiFi.
How do you get the USB installer set-up? It is really easy. You must have Google's Chrome browser running on your Windows or macOS computer (it can be the same computer that you will be installing Flex onto). There is an "Extensions" icon which looks like a puzzle piece. Click on it and click on the "Manage Extensions". On the left has a "Discover more extensions and themes on the Chrome Web Store". Click on the Chrome Web Store as it is a link to the store. Search for "chromebook recovery utility". Click on the box with the utility. Click on the Blue button at the top-right of the screen. Install the extension. To get it to run, click on the puzzle piece icon and click on the "Chromebook Recovery…" text. It will guide you through creating the USB thumb drive. When selecting the computer model, choose "Google ChromeOS Flex" instead of the actual computer model it is running on. This will give you a generic Flex installer. Be sure to choose Flex. Be aware that anything on the thumb drive will be deleted first, then the installer will be created.
You now have to tell the target computer to run the USB drive. Bring the USB thumb drive installer and insert it into the computer that will be your new Chromebook. Restart the computer and press f12, f10, or f8, depending on your computer (the option key for macOS) – just Google it! Curser to the boot menu and choose the "EFI…" with some notion of the USB drive's manufacturer option, which is usually at the bottom of the list. The top of the list is probably Windows or macOS.
After it installs the ChromeOS Flex, it puts out a note to remove the thumb drive installer and restart the computer. The computer will shut down on its own and go dark. Remove the USB drive, restart the computer and you now have a Chromebook-like computer. This is when you have to put in your Gmail user and password, or you can use it as a guest.
A cool feature is that you can try out the ChromeOS Flex from the thumb drive and not install it. It runs it off of the USB thumb drive and is usually slower but you can see how to interact with Flex on that computer.
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LITURGICAL MINISTRY SCHEDULING LINKS & NOTES
February
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AAAC2CA5F5C34-45870041-february
March
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AAAC2CA5F5C34-46650610-march
April
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AAAC2CA5F5C34-47086223-april
All signups on our Parish web site:
https://www.stfoa.org/signup
Notes:
- There are a lot of ads throughout the app. They come in various shapes and sizes - keep scrolling.
- Be sure to create an account with signup Genius. either from a login link at the top or going to the "plain ole Signup Genius link at the bottom of this text. It will make it easy for them to remember you.
- Please signup with the same email that has been used in the past. Signup Genius will match emails and you will see other calendars to sign up to.
- At the sign-on page, be sure to click on the little "remember me" box. It might even "remember you" the next time you show up.
- Be sure to bookmark or add this to the home screen of this page. Then you will be able to go back to it at any time.
- When you signup for a time, you can signup for one or more, just keep scrolling beyond the ads to the next time you want to serve. There will be a button at the bottom that says "Submit & Sign Up". That is the first button, then you will go to a page with all the signups listed so you can be sure you didn't miss any. Sign in then click on the "Sign Up Now!" button and you are done.
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There are two icons/buttons at the upper-right, above the entries. The first one is to show the signups in a list view. The second is to show the signups in a calendar view. Both make it easier to see the signups.
If you have any questions please reach out to Kathi Swan at
kswan@stfoa-parish.org or 206-242-4575 x29
For Technical issues please email Rick Fleehart at
rfleehart@stfoa-parish.org
"Plain ole" Signup Genius to register or login: www.signupgenius.com/register
Any questions, Rick can help. I can be at any of the Masses with some forewarning. Be sure to bring your smartphone or laptop because we can get it setup on your device, and we can create a bookmark/shortcut for it.
If you only use a desktop computer, do not bring it to Mass to get help - Ha ha. We can create your username/account and send you an email link for the bookmark from my laptop.
-Rick
rfleehart@stfoa-parish.org
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STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE
Year to Date Report
July 1 through January 21, 2024
Sunday Goal: $548,350
Sunday Actual: $545,216 ($3,134)
January Goal: $45,786
January Actual: $44,557 ($1,229)
Thank you for your continuous and generous support of St. Francis of Assisi Parish!
God bless you!
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Administration
2024 Stewardship of Treasure
Renewal: Thank you to those who have turned in your 2024 Stewardship of Treasure pledge form. The Treasure pledge is your best estimate of your financial giving to the parish. It is not legally binding. We have received about 200 pledge forms.
Footnote: Though we prefer a return pledge form, if you already donate online and plan to keep your donations for 2024 the same as they were in 2023, then your online giving can take the place of a pledge form. We offer this option because our renewal effort is only a few weeks long.
2023 Year-end Giving Report were mailed last week. Contact John Eisen, 206.242.4575 or email jeisen@stfoa-parish.org if you have concerns or questions about them.
Parish Office Hours are Changing: The office opens at 8:30am, not 8:00am. The new 8:30am hour ensures that administrative staff are available to serve you. The closing time of 4:00pm remains the same. The Parish Office is Closed on Fridays.
Furnace Update: We selected a contractor for the replacement of the furnace. The furnace heats the church and Unity Place. We also retained the engineer who provided drawing for the bidding process. This person will ensure the project is done according to the drawing’s specifications.
The Safety and Facilities Committee meets this Tuesday at 6:30pm. It is a Zoom meeting.
A Software Transition: Our church management software is changing from Desktop to Web based. When the switch over is complete, by mid-February, then we can send out reports for the “Honor our Past, Protect the Future” Capital Campaign and all donations to the church.
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Making Sunday Giving Easier: For fast access use the QR code. Point your smartphone camera to the QR code and say yes or OK.
https://www.stfoa.org/giving
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Life, Peace, and Justice
Linda Stryker | stfoa.ljp@gmail.com
My column today is about the “Life” portion of our St. Francis Life, Peace and Justice committee.
I have been pondering about all of the parishioners that I have “lost” since Covid, or even before that. By lost, I do not just mean death. I mean people that have fallen off my radar, and I had not noticed. Covid closure was so sudden and so complete, and so long, that our awareness of peoples’ health, their moves to different housing, and yes, their passings, have been a blur.
Many of us only know a certain portion of our Parish Family – school parents, Knights, Scout parents, CYO folks, Church decorators, etc. I really tried hard to know a lot of parishioners on some level, and to remember faces if I did not know names. Maybe that friendship is frozen in time and circumstances, and we have not realized that things have changed.
I am wracking my brain to think about various parishioners – and I refer to our old Parish photo directory for help. Where are those people now? Are they still local? Still Catholic? Still healthy? We have had a spate of funerals in January and February, and were fellow Parishioners aware of those declines and deaths?
How can we be better connected as Parish Family? Our prayer ministry can help. Our book of intentions can help.
Intentions at daily Mass can help. Contacting the Parish office if you know of someone facing a big change. Contact someone personally when you notice you haven’t seen them for awhile.
As we prepare to merge with our “Family Group Parishes”, we will each have new people to get to know. We need to consider how best to welcome them, involve them, and connect personally with them.
If you have ideas for improving our connections, please share them with the Life, Peace and Justice Committee participants.
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Life, Justice and Peace meetings:
We meet the 4th or last Monday of the month 7 pm via Zoom.
Email us your thoughts and comments at stfoa.ljp@gmail.com
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DID YOU KNOW?
St. Francis of Assisi Parish is a Formed Subscriber, which means all parishioners can stream the videos and programming available for free! Follow the instructions below and use our ZIP code, 98062, to find our parish. Sign up and start watching great Catholic videos and programs for adults and kids.
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PRAYER WORKS
In times of joy and sorrow we find ourselves reaching out to God. Sometimes we feel the need of a little extra prayer support. Our Prayer Ministry is designed to give anyone who desires the opportunity for others to pray for their needs. The process is simple. Use the request button below to submit your prayer request. Your intention will remain within the privacy and confidentiality of the prayer team ministers unless you request otherwise.
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Please support our Little Free Pantry
The Little Food Pantry is located on the west side of the church near the sidewalk. This little pantry has been such a blessing for so many, as we have noticed it being utilized more and more. If you feel so inclined to donate a few items to support our local community in their need, please consider items that don't require cooking such as pop top meals in a can, tuna fish, peanut butter, protein shakes, granola bars, fruit in a pop top can, etc.
Feel free to add the items yourself or drop them off in the parish office. Thank you so much for showing your support and generosity to our neighbors.
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