St. John Baptist de la salle JuLY 19Th 2020

www.stjohnsfamilyoffaith.com Sixteenth SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

MONDAY, July 20 – St. Apollinaris 8:00 a.m. Kelsi Basehore TUESDAY, July 21 – St. Lawrence of Brindisi 7:00 p.m. George Hlodash, Sr. WEDNESDAY, July 22 – St. Mary Magdalene 8:00 a.m. Bob Ziolkowski THURSDAY, July 23 – St. Bridget 7:00 p.m. Anne Kakos FRIDAY, July 24 – St. Sharel Makhlūf 8:00 a.m. Robert Hafer

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SATURDAY, JULY 25 4:00 p.m. Mildred & Martin Wanyo SUNDAY, JULY 26 8:30 a.m. People of the Parish 10:30 a.m. Claire Causa

Please direct all bulletin and website inquiries to the Parish Communications Coordinator, Sarah Capato at 610.850.4978 or sarah@stjohnsfamilyoffaith.com.

Bulletin submissions are due Thursday, ten days prior to the Sunday of publication.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 – 4:00PM Lector: Mike Caterina SUNDAY, JULY 26 – 8:30AM Lector: Ed Lawrence SUNDAY, JULY 26 – 10:30AM Lector: Brian Kobularcik

Sanctuary Lamp for the week of July 19-25 In loving memory of Robert Hafer, Sr.

(requested by Palma Hafer)

Weekly stewardship SUNDAY: 7/12: $10,157.50

Mass intentions for the week

Upcoming liturgical ministers

Away from home? Find a mass wherever you are by visiting www.masstimes.org

First Reading: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 This passage from the Book of Wisdom addresses itself to God, giving praise and thanksgiving for his mercy. Second Reading: Romans 8:26-27 Paul indicates that since people are, in general, unaccustomed to the manner of praying, of speaking directly to God, the Holy Spirit will intercede for them. Gospel: Matthew 13:24-43 According to Matthew, Jesus speaks of the “reign of God” in three parables: the man who soweth good seed, the mustard seed, and the yeast. In each parable, Jesus demonstrates that once the “reign of God” had been established, it grew and spread.

Todays readings

Virtual Mass with Fr. Rich can still be viewed

every Sunday after 9am on either our Parish

website www.stjohnsfamilyoffaith.com or our

parish Facebook page, St. John Baptist de la

Salle Family of Faith

Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service If you have an allegation of abuse against a bishop, please contact the Catholic Bishop Abuse Report-ing Service at www.ReportBishopAbuse.org or by calling 800.276.1562.

Office of Safe Environment Pamela J. Russo, M.S.W, M.S. Secretary, Youth Protection and Catholic Human Services P.O. Box F, Allentown, PA 18105 610.871.5200 ext. 2204 prusso@allentowndiocese.org

ATTENTION ALL PRIME TIMERS: All Trips have been cancelled for the summer. There will be a Gen-eral meeting on July 21 at 1:00 PM in the Fr. Lyons Room. Please wear your mask!

Prime timers news

Looking for ways to help? The world may feel crazy right now, and many may feel lost in this time of isolation. Our prayer during this time is that we can, as a parish family of faith, band together in hope and in love by our actions and our words. We pray for a swift end to COVID-19, for the safety and health of our com-munity, and for a renewed appreciation for all we may take for granted. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance (meals, someone to pray with, pick up prescriptions, groceries, etc.), we have parishioners who are able and willing to help. If you are a parishioner who is able to help those in need during this period of isola-tion (to make and/or deliver meals, to pick up prescriptions, groceries, or to pray with some-one over the phone)! Please contact Arlene Seeber by email at arleneseeber@icloud.com or call 484.794.8027 if you need assistance or can offer assistance.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES NEEDED Even though it seems that summer has just started, the pantry is already

preparing to assist students when they return to classes in the fall.

This year, we are asking for donations of school sup-plies for distribution to students within the Governor Mifflin School District. Due to the Covid-19 pandem-ic, we have over 160 students that we are assisting. Below is a wish list of the most needed items to help our youngsters get off to a good start.

*Back Packs *Binders (Heavy Duty - 3 inch) *2 pocket folders *Calculators *Subject dividers *Spiral notebooks *Highlighters *Pencils and pens *Colored pencils *Markers *Crayons *Glue Sticks or bottles *Erasers (large pink ones and pencil toppers)

Donations may be left at any church entrance from now through August 9th, 2020. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated and may be placed in the collection basket in an envelope marked "school supplies". Thank you, once again for your continued generosity! Please contact Kate Roché at 610.777.4792 with any questions or for information about volunteering.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNTITY Berks Catholic High School has an opening for French Teacher Grades 9-12. Be a part of some-thing special! Please email resume and clearanc-es to aeinolf@berkscatholic.org By 8/3/2020

St. Benedict’s 64th Annual Chicken Barbecue. Drive

Thru– Takeout Only. Saturday, August 1. Dinners served

12pm to 7pm– only $12.00! Dinners include 1/2 chicken,

corn on the cob, baked potato, applesauce, roll and

choice of drink. St. Benedict Picnic Grove on Route 10 and

Chestnut Hill Rd., Plowville. Get your tickets in advance–

limited sales on event day! To order call St. Benedict

Church Office 610.856.1006 or Anna Welch am-

welch@ptd.net or text/call 610.334.5418

Support the Mifflin Community Food Ministry by

shopping at the Grocery Outlet! All of July fight

hunger in our community. All

donations stay local. Our friends at Shillington Gro-

cery Outlet, 4200 Shillington Plaza, Shillington have

partnered with the Mifflin

Community Food Ministry, New Journey Community

Outreach and Keystone Military Families to support

there missions. All monies collected in July will be

split between these three local organizations! If you

donate $5 throughout the month of July at the

Shillington Grocery Outlet, get a $5 coupon toward

groceries the next time you stop in!

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Over this past Independence Day holiday I have been, perhaps like you, praying for and reflecting upon our Country. Certainly, it is difficult to remember a more contentious Fourth of July.

Supposedly, after signing the Declaration of Independence, as Benjamin Franklin was leaving Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia, a woman shouted out, “So Doctor, what do we have? A republic or a monarchy.” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” We seem to be faced with the “if you can keep it” right now.

The almost ruthless push to erase history flows contrary to what we need as human beings and as a socie-ty. To eradicate our history -- the good, the bad, and the shameful aspects of it -- is to make us orphans. Nothing in Sacred Scripture would ever support the forgetting or destruction of history.

Beginning in the Old Testament, we see the Israelites, God’s Chosen People, constantly recalling their his-tory: the wonders God worked for them; the tremendous sins of their past and God’s merciful forgiveness. Actually, God demanded that they remember their history. “…you shall teach them (the Commandments) diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

In the New Testament, Jesus is the first proponent of the “cancel culture.” “Cancel” as in “forgiveness.” Through His preaching and death on the Cross, He canceled our sins out of love. He for-gives our sins, but does not wipe away the memory of them.

Just as Israel had to remember their sins against God, so too must we remember our personal and collec-tive societal sins. Without this remembrance, there can be no future of avoiding the same behavior.

When the woman was caught in adultery, Jesus did not condemn her. Instead, He forgave her, and told her “Go, and do not sin again.” (John 8:11) Jesus wanted her to remember her sin -- not to erase her past -- so she could remember to avoid it in the future.

There is a great movement currently in our Nation that our past is hurtful and needs to be expunged. This would be contrary to Divine Revelation. Jesus teaches us that the best, most healing way to deal with the past is through forgiveness, not forgetfulness. The healing of our souls and the healing of our Nation can only come by recognizing our past, seeking forgiveness for it, and remembering it, lest we commit the same offenses today. Moral and historical amnesia is dangerous for us in the present and perilous for those who come after us, for without reminders of the journey our Country has taken, our heirs will have to retrace the same sad steps. A little present-day humility is in order here. As we watch statues of historical figures decapitated and broken because of the times in which they lived, how do we suppose future gen-erations will judge us as a society that kills our children in the name of personal freedom as we worship at the monument of abortion?

Destroying statues of Saint Junipero Serra, the Founding Fathers, and Christopher Columbus is not a ra-tional response that reaches to the depths of hearts, nor does it solve any of our national problems. Only by recalling the past, with all its sins and blemishes, and seeking reconciliation with it will we be a great people “whose God is the Lord.”

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones. As a Diocesan Family of Faith, may we be conduits of peace in our enraged land.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Alfred A. Schlert Bishop of Allentown

The inventory in food pantries and the

baby supplies (diapers, clothes, formula etc.)

of Catholic Charities in Berks County is in des-

perate need of replenishment.

Unfortunately, with the current economic cir-

cumstances more local people than

ever are in need. To alleviate this situation we

will be running a collection for non-perishable

food and Baby / infant goods. We are asking

you to help Catholic Charities help those who

are in great need! All Masses on July 25 & 26

will have collection boxes at the exits for your

donations of non-perishable food and new (or

gently used) baby supplies….feel free to do-

nate however you are moved. The more we

can provide to Catholic Charities the more

families that will be helped.

Thank you & God Bless.

Catholics Come Home

The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the United States, accounting for about 25 percent of the country’s population.

The Church continues to grow and many people have chosen to convert to Catholicism. The Church is a vibrant, active community of believers which continues to have a positive influence on the lives of many

people. However, there are people who for one reason or another have stopped actively participating in the Church and attending Mass. We live in a busy culture and society. There are many demands that are

placed on us. Yet people are searching for a deeper sense of meaning, for a closer relationship with God, and for a more authentic spiritual identity.

Since the Church is a family, we miss those Catholics who may have left the Church or who have stopped participating in its vibrant liturgy and sacramental life. Perhaps you or someone you know are in this situa-tion and do not know how to come back or how to become active again. The first thing you need to know

is that you are always welcome back. The Church misses you and hopes that you will choose to come home as an active member.

Catholics Come Home is a non-profit, independent charity whose purpose is to invite inactive Catholics, and others searching for a faith home, to the Catholic faith. Their informative and interactive website helps to answer questions about Church teachings and gives an overview of the Catholic faith. Some of its found-ers and supporters recently returned to the Catholic faith and want to share their positive experiences with

others. Many never left the Church, but recently grew to understand and appreciate their Catholic faith more deeply. All feel part of a big Catholic family, who sincerely hope others will also find more peace, re-

al answers, and true happiness through the gift of faith.

Please feel free to explore any questions you may have about the Catholic Church or how you can return to an active participation in the Church by visiting the Catholics Come Home website.

Visit this link for valuable resources and personal witness testimonies about living a committed Christian life: www.catholicscomehome.org