Greetings to you! How are you? And how are you? Many greetings to you! If the double form of salutations seems a bit confusing to you be at peace - apparently today is National Repeat Day. (nationaldaycalendar.com) That reminds me of the old joke about Pete and his brother Repete getting into a boat…For the sake of brevity - though it would help to add a dash of levity - I will omit the rest of the joke that could go on and on and on and on… It’s been said that “repetition is the mother of all learning” or in the original Latin, “Repetitio est mater studiorum.” Speaking for myself, I usually need to hear or see or do things multiple times before they truly sink into the level of me knowing them. Throughout Sacred Scripture there are numerous repetitions of a word, phrase, message, or name to convey an important Truth. Let’s consider some examples from the Old and New Testament:
There are particular words, phrases, messages, and names that come up with a great deal of regularity and frequency throughout the seventy-three books of the Bible. For instance, the phrase, “thus says the Lord” appears over 400 times. Words of reassurance like, “Be not afraid” occur over 100 times. Within his public ministry, Jesus talked about “The Kingdom of God” or alternatively “The Kingdom of Heaven” over 40 times (BlueLetterBible.org). These are illustrations of the reality that our Heavenly Father wants to instruct us as His beloved daughters and sons and we usually need to receive the same message over and over again for it to resonate with us.
When God speaks to those whom He has chosen at times He or an angel speaking on His behalf will repeat the name of the listener to get his or her attention. This was the case when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac on the mountain when he heard the intervening words, “Abraham, Abraham!” (Genesis 22:11) When the Lord God spoke to Moses from the burning bush he said, “Moses, Moses!” (Exodus 3:4) The calling of the boy Samuel who would become a prophet was similar with, “Samuel, Samuel!” (1 Samuel 3:10).
The powerful phrase on the lips of Jesus during his crucifixion - which were originally from the start of Psalm 22 - draws upon the repetition of, “My God, my God! Why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46) As a brief aside the Psalm that Jesus was quoting began with pain and desperation but concluded with hopeful confidence in the Lord’s mysterious and yet altogether marvelous providence (bible.org).
Within the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke we hear Jesus often speak about himself as “The Son of Man” and “The Son of God.” In the Gospel according to John we hear Jesus refer to himself uniquely as “I Am” followed by, “The Bread of Life…The Light of the World…The Door of the Sheep…The Good Shepherd…The Resurrection and the Life…The Way, The Truth, and The Life…The Vine” (thomasnelsonbibles.com). Interestingly, within the Gospels the only person to say the word, “Amen” is Jesus and in the Fourth Gospel it is doubled to “Amen, Amen” with “I say to you” to express the divinity of Christ (catholic-resources.org). Hopefully this article and these examples help to show the use and importance of repetition throughout the Bible on this National Repeat Day.
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“Rejoice in the Lord! I shall say it again, “Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4),
Fr. James
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Appreciation Message from Fr. Bruno Nwachukwu
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With a joyful heart, I wish to say “THANK YOU” to Fr. James, and all parishioners and staff for your prayers, support, and warm hospitality these past three years here in Columbia Heights. It has been a great blessing for me to help with ministry here at Immaculate Conception. Your active faith as Catholics has inspired my spiritual life as a priest in this Archdiocese. I have really learned a lot from you. For instance, celebrating Masses with the Church and School, administering the Anointing of the Sick and bringing Holy Communion to the sick at the hospital have both increased my love for Jesus in the Eucharist. It was an opportunity for me to grow in my priestly ministry and to get to know and meet many of you parishioners and staff.
You will all be in my prayers while you continue to pray for me and my fellow brother priests, especially those beginning a new assignment. I look forward to beginning my new assignment as Parochial Vicar of the Church of Saint Joseph in West Saint Paul. Please pray for me as I prepare to make this new transition. Thank you for the Farewell Gathering and for everything.
May God bless all of you!
Fr. Bruno
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Fr. James Daily Video Message
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Daily video messages from Fr. James and Masses celebrated by Father James can be found on Facebook, YouTube, our My Parish app and on our website:
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Upcoming Changes in Liturgical Practices
After reviewing Archdiocesan guideline updates, IC will make the following changes in liturgical practices beginning the weekend of June 5-6.
Returning to pre-pandemic liturgical practices:
- Traditional communion distribution lines. Eucharistic Ministers will continue to be masked until that requirement is ended.
- Hymnals and worship aids will return for congregational use.
- Processions will return, including bringing up the gifts for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
- Removal of social distancing restrictions and blue tape. Worshippers may sit where they choose.
- Votive candles will again be available for lighting and books of intentions available.
- Altar servers will return.
Not changing at this time:
- Videotaping of Masses and posting to YouTube will continue.
- Holy water stoups will be unavailable.
- Chalices of wine will not be available.
- Confessions will continue to be heard in the Visitation Room.
The adoration chapel will also be returning to normal operations (scheduled adorers with walk-ins permitted) hopefully in July.
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Archbishop Hebda Welcomes the Faithful Back to Mass.
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Trivia Question of the Week
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During a theological conversation, Jesus affirmed one of the scribes by saying, “You are not far from _______________.” (Mark 12:34)
A. The Truth
B. The Kingdom of God
C. Jerusalem
D. Mercy
See the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
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Faith Formation Registration is Now Open
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Registration is open for all 2021-22 Faith formation classes! We offer Family Formation (Kindergarten-Grade 6), 1st Eucharist preparation, pre-Confirmation and Confirmation preparation (Grades 7 and up). Register online or contact Mary Nawrocki, Director of Faith Formation, at 763-788-9062 or mnawrocki@immac-church.org. Classes begin in mid-September. Spaces fill quickly, so register early. We look forward to having your family join us this fall!
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Archdiocesan Synod at Home
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Make a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in November of 2021 with Fr. James! Spots are limited. Please see the Magi Travel website for more details:
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Enjoy a free subscription to FORMED.org
FORMED provides amazing online videos, audio and books 24/7 for you to grow in your faith. It's EASY and FREE to Register!
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Go to iccsonline.formed.org and click next
- Enter your name and email and click sign-up
- Enjoy and share with others in our local community!
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You can watch with your free parish subscription by simply selecting our parish’s name during registration at formed.org/signup.
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Immaculate Conception Parish App
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Answer to the Trivia Question of the Week:
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Immaculate Conception
Church and School
Church: 763-788-9062
School: 763-788-9065
info@immac-church.org | ICCSonline.org
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You're receiving this email because of your relationship with Immaculate Conception Church and School. To no longer receive messages from Fr. James Peterson, please click the link at the bottom of this email to unsubscribe. Thank you.
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