Single fathers usually sit in the back row of their children’s school performances. Fathers who are married usually sit as close to the front of the audiences, with their spouses. Why is this?

Well, we all know how important mothers are to the well-being of a family. However, we as a culture look at single fathers with a bit of suspicion. Fathers are as important as mothers are, but offer a different perspective on life and bring a much
needed role in bringing up children. Let us welcome all fathers today to the front row of our lives and acknowledge how important they have been, and continue to be in our lives.

Let us pray…
Gracious God and Father, our first father,
You are the One who has brought us to life in this world you created.
You created us and everything around us.
We turned away from you
and only after disappointing you did we return your love.

Look with favor on our earthly fathers.
They helped create us in your image.
We have disappointed them,
but have come to realize just how important they are to us.

Bless all our fathers, living and deceased, with comfort and health.
We bring all their needs to you
and ask for strength so they may live worthy lives.

We ask all this in the name of your Son,
our model of what it means to reverence our fathers.
In Christ’s name.
Amen.

St. Valentine Parish Council Meeting Minutes for April 19th, 2016

In Attendance: Lisa Alexander, Mary Anthony, Dan Benard, Beth Jachman, Anthony Janisse, Joe Kelly, Jeff Kramer, Mike Nowak, Alan Pawlik, Frank Zbikowski.

Absent: Fr Henry, Fr Socorro, Walt Bankowski, Patrick Fox, Ron Fron, Allison Wright, Bob Zimmerman.

Old Business

Donut Meet & Greet Sunday – April 10^th.  Poor turnout; likely due to Confirmation.  June 5^th is the next date.  High School & College graduates invited to attend.

Proper dress & attire for Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers.  Worship commission working on a communication to lectors and EMs.

New Business

Fund Raiser – Looking for ideas.  Irish Fest no longer an option.  Suggestions included: school reunion, dinner/dance, silent auction & camel race.

Church Picnic – Will be held in the School Gym on Sunday, August 28^th, 2016.  Need to confirm whether the Men’s Club will sponsor the meat this year.  Jeff Kramer to contact David Prowse & Ted Kozlowski about cooking.  Suggestion to start cooking earlier & use the new warmer.  Need access to the soda machine.  Lisa Alexander volunteered to chair games for the children; bounce house & trampoline possible.

Commissions

Christian Service:

Still looking for a volunteer to attend PC meetings.  Rosemary Fox sent an e-mail outlining this year’s accomplishments:

November Blanket Drive
Giving Tree
Lunch for the homeless
Collecting pantry supplies for Angels’ Place
Soup Supper (cancelled due to weather)
Right to Life Baby Shower

Worship:

Final plans reviewed for HS & College graduations at the June 5^th noon mass.
Rosary will be prayed after weekend masses throughout May.
First Communion will be celebrated on May 1^st at the noon mass.
Pentecost Sunday celebrated on May 15^th.  Parishioners will be reminded to wear red at all masses.
Feast of Corpus Christi is Sunday, May 29^th.

Roundtable:

It always appears exciting when someone seems to be able to read minds. In today’s Gospel, Jesus, in addition to reading a mind, reads a heart. The mind belongs to Simon, a proud Pharisee who thinks he knows the heart of the woman who wipes the feet of Jesus with her tears. Simon, in fact, marvels that Jesus himself came to see this woman for who she obviously is. But Jesus has read the heart of the woman much better than the presumptuous Simon. So Jesus offers Simon and his guests a parable that bears directly on the scene unfolding before Simons own table. Of two debtors forgiven different amounts, he asks, who will love the creditor more? The one forgiven more, says Simon.

Now Jesus sets the spotlight on the woman, noting how she, a sinner and an outcast, has shown him all the expected gestures of hospitality that Simon failed to provide. Her many sins have been forgiven and in response, she shows Jesus such great love. Just like the debtors of Jesus parable, she is forgiven, and then shows through her act of washing Jesus feet, her great love. Jesus has not only seen her many sins, he has already forgiven them and the woman can’t help but weep and perfume his feet in gratitude. Jesus’ point is that those forgiven much will love much and those forgiven little will love but little. That’s not an invitation to sin mightily, but to realize that no matter what our sins or state of life, we all have been forgiven much!

We are good at enumerating our sinfulness; perhaps the challenge of today’s readings is to enumerate all the good in our lives. And then take some time to utter a prayer of loving thanks to God who is so merciful and gracious to us. To God who loves us even when we sin.

Fr. Henry SAC

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

An Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 Most sweet Jesus, humbly kneeling at Thy feet, we renew the consecration of our family to Thy Divine Heart. Be Thou our King forever! In Thee we have full and entire confidence. May Thy spirit penetrate our thoughts, our desires, our words and our deeds. Bless our undertakings, share in our joys, in our trials, and in our labors. Grant us to know Thee better, to love Thee more, to serve Thee without faltering.

 Prayer: O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Divine Mercy Vestment from Rzeszow, Poland

  On Sunday, May 22 at the 12 noon Mass St. Valentine Parish was presented with a Divine Mercy Vestment. This beautiful vestment comes all the way from Rzeszow, Poland and is a gift from Adam and Anna Kurdziel of Rzeszow who were in Redford visiting their cousins, Bob and Eleanor Bielenda. We thank the Kurdziel Family for thinking of our parish and for their most generous gift. We look forward to wearing this new vestment on Divine Mercy Sunday.

Congratulations!

At the 12 noon Mass today we are  honoring those who have graduated from high school and college. We congratulate you on your accomplishments. Congratulations to the graduates of 2016!