St. John the Baptist R. C. Church 895 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, New York 10968

www.stjohnspiermont.org stjohnspiermont@optonline.net 845-359-0078

April 9, 2017, Palm Sunday of the Passion of our Lord

Rev. Tom Kunnel, C.O. Administrator

frtomkunnel@gmail.com

Deacon John Cunningham Deacon Robert Pang

Kathleen Dunn Religious Education Director

May Pang Parish Admin: maysoohoo@optonline.net

MASSES

Saturday: 5:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM

1:00 PM (Spanish) Weekdays: 8:00 AM Saturday: 9:00 AM

Holy Days: As Announced

Rectory

Mon – Fri 10:15 AM – 4:00 PM

Sat 9 AM – 11 AM (Spanish)

April Sponsor of St. John’s App: Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Anne #866

Court St. Anne celebrates its 93rd anniversary this month, and we ecourage all women in St. John’s to join this worthy organization.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP ‘ST JOHN PIERMONT’

Dear Parish Family,

Palm Sunday is the great doorway leading into Holy Week, the week when the Lord Jesus makes his way towards the culmination of his earthly existence. He goes up to Jerusa-

lem in order to fulfill the Scriptures and to be nailed to the wood of the Cross, the throne from which he will reign forever, drawing to himself humanity of every age and offering to all the gift of redemption. The early Church Fathers saw a symbol of all this in the gesture of the peo-ple who followed Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem, the gesture of spreading out their coats before the Lord. Before Christ – the Fathers said – we must spread out our lives, ourselves, in an attitude of grati-tude and adoration. Jericho, where the last stage of Jesus’s pilgrimage began, is 250 meters below sea-level while Jerusalem - the goal of the journey - is 740-780 meters above sea level: an ascent of almost 1,000 meters. But this external route is above all an image of the interior movement of existence, which occurs in the following of Christ: It is an ascent to the true height of being human. Man can choose an easy path and avoid all toil. He can also descend to what is lower. He can sink into lies and dishonesty. Jesus goes ahead of us, and he goes up to what is above. He leads us to what is great, pure, he leads us to the healthy air of the heights: to life according to truth; to the courage that does not let itself be intimidated by the gossip of dominant opinions; to the patience that stands up for and supports the other. He leads us to availability to the suffering, to the abandoned; to the loyalty that stands with the other even when the situation makes it difficult. He leads us to availability to bring help; to the goodness that does not let itself be disarmed not even by ingratitude. He leads us to love — he leads us to God.

People remember the last days of their loved ones. We often hear that during the eulogies at funerals. In the same way, the Passion of the Lord was chiseled into the minds of the disciples, the apostles, and the primitive Church. Every step along the way was remembered in pre-cise detail. The early Christians committed the events to memory. We relive these details at the Stations of the Cross. The early Church mem-orized the Passion not out of a hatred for those who demanded the death of the Lord, or a hatred for those who so sadistically brought it about, it was remembered out of love. Our God loved us so much that He became one of us so His love could destroy the power of hatred in the world. He died so that we could join Him in dying to the world. He rose, so we could join Him in sharing eternal life.

This is what we commemorate during this, the holiest week of the Church year. We call Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday ‘the Paschal Triduum’, the three days of remembering the gift of the Lamb of God. Join us on Holy Thursday as we renew our determina-tion to be a Eucharistic People, a people who wash the feet of oth-ers. Come on Good Friday and remember the death that makes life possible. Come and realize that the Love of God is infinitely more powerful than anything that evil, or the world, can do to us. Come on Easter Sunday and celebrate with joy the Victory of Jesus Christ. Come and celebrate Christ’s Life. Come and celebrate our lives. May you and your families have a very Holy Week.

Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.

THE SANCTUARY LAMP Is Being Offered this week

In Memory of Jesusas Favor

By Silva & Soriano Family

Please remember in your prayers the Sick and/or Homebound of our Parish Family. Antoinette Naglieri, Ann Ely, Tommy McGuire, Nicholas Bruni, brother of Marge Olsen, Fr Frank Samoylo, Gio-vanni Mercurio, Nijole Paronetto, Joseph Iorio, fa-ther of Lee McGarvey, Caroline Kelly, Julie Caw-ley, Betty Keyes, Denis Spillane, Virginia McCauley-Cook, Thomas Mooney

As a Parish Family, let us remember in our prayers all our beloved departed members of our Parish Community, Ralph Merola, Michael Rotundo,Tebby DeMaio, Francisca Aguilar Gomezz, Deloress Pontone, mother of Jim Pontone, Gene Cummins, father of Jeanine Kennedy, Elizabeth Reyes, granddaughter of Dcn Rob & May Pang, Maureen O’Connell, Lucy Lynch, Michael Mooney, uncle of Christine Mooney, June Groll, Karen Emden

Sat 4/8 5:00 PM James Murray by Eileen Murray

Sun 4/9

8:00 AM Richard Ambrey by Beverly and Bill Motto

10:30:AM Rosalie Codello by Friday Renew Group

Mon 4/10 8:00 AM Marie Meyer by CDA

Tue 4/11 8:00 AM Vincent Koza by Family

Wed 4/12 8:00 AM James Baker & Family by Thomas Fabry

Thu 4/13 7:30 PM Ines Castillo & Msgr Robert Saccoman by Ana Dumlao

Fri 4/14 Good Friday

Sat 4/15 8:00 PM The Newly Baptized & Confirmed

by Parishioners of St. John

Sun 4/16

8:00 AM Oratorian Fathers by Parishioners of St. John

10:30 AM Rosalie Codello by Friday Renew Group

Liturgy Schedule April 15/16

Day Time Lector Eucharistic

Minister Altar Servers

Saturday 4/15

8:00 PM TBA TBA TBA

Sunday 4/16

8:00 AM Fran Loftus Jackie Schaefer Gianluca Gonzalez Nico Gonzalez

10:30 AM Mike Yannazzone Janet Zahn Gerry Caltagirone Carter Pontone 1:00 PM Cruz Molina Santiago Nova Justin Recinos Rosario Guzman David Ortiz Rafael Mazariego April Matute Ruth Sanabria

THE GOOD NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOL OF RELIGION

Good morning to you all on this wonderful Palm Sunday. May we grow in love as we jour-ney through Holy Week. There are classes today for our Sunday morn-ing groups, but NO CLASSES for grades 6 to 8 tomorrow evening. Our School of Religion will be CLOSED next week. There is FAMILY MASS on EASTER SUNDAY at 10:30 am. We hope to see you all there on the holiest day of the year. Reminder: Our CONFIRMATION RETREAT will be held on SATURDAY, APRIL 22nd from 9 AM to12:30 in Connelly Hall. ‘To love another person is to see the face of God.’ Victor Hugo

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord — Readings No. 823

Sun 9-Apr

5:30AM Spanish Morning Prayer

9AM Religious Ed

10:30AM Family Mass

11:30AM Spanish Religious Ed

11:30AM Legion of Mary

7PM AA Meeting

Mon 10-Apr

6PM Confessions

6:30PM Religious Ed

7PM Men's Club Meeting

Tue 11-Apr

10AM Scripture Class

6PM Seder

7PM Baptism Prep

7PM Rios de Agua Viva Group

7PM Altar Server Prep and Practice

7PM Spanish Scripture Class

Wed 12-Apr

1:30PM Piermont Sr Meeting

7PM Spanish Choir Practice

7PM Spanish Confessions

7PM RCIA

Holy Thu

13-Apr

10AM Decorate Church for Holy Thurs

7:30PM Holy Thur Mass

8:30PM Adoration Repository

Good Fri

14-Apr

2PM Stations of the Cross/Adoration

3PM Liturgical Service

6PM Spanish Live Station of the Cross

8:00PM Spanish Liturgical Service

Holy Sat

15-Apr 9:30AM Decorate Church for Easter

8PM Easter Vigil

Will be reported next week

Our Parish Code RGDV27

UNSCRAMBLE THE WORDS

FIND A MESSAGE using the ‘Letter’ in the “( )”.

RSHICT __ __ __ __ (__) __ BLUEMDH (__) __ __ __ __ __ __ AMUNH __ __ (__) __ __ BOAEV (__) __ __ __ __ TAREH (__) __ __ __ __

Bended knees for God find grace, without empty space for __ __ __ __ __. Answers are words from this week's readings (See Pg. 7 below the cartoon)

Contributed by Jill Ammerman

Congratulations to couples

celebrating their 50th Anniversary in 2017.

You are invited by

Cardinal Dolan to the Annual Golden Wedding Jubilee Mass

St. Patrick’s Cathedral Sunday, June 11 at 2PM

Pre-registration is required.

Please call the rectory as soon as possible.

May 5, 2017 6:30 PM Nyack Seaport 21 Burd Street

Honoree: Sr. Cecilia LaPietra, founder

& Sr. Jeanine Nolan who is retiring

Tickets are $125 for the Gala

For information about ticket purchase, donations or journal ads, call 845-512-8176 or visit www.one2one-learning.org

Sunday 4/2 will be reported next week

Holy Week Schedule Reconciliation Monday

April 10, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Christian Seder Tuesday, April 11, 6:00 PM

Sacramento de la Reconciliación Miércoles, April 12, 7.00 PM

No Morning Mass 7:30 PM Mass of the Lord’s Supper/ Misa de la Cena

del Señor Adoration Repository until 10PM

No Morning Mass 2:00 PM Way of the Cross in the Church

3:00 PM Liturgical Service of Veneration of the Cross 6:00 PM Estaciones de la Cruz

8:00 PM Veneración de la Cruz

No Morning Mass 6:00 – 7:30 PM Bi-Lingual Confessions

8:00 PM Solemn Easter Vigil/Vigilia de Pascua

Easter Sunday Masses: 8:00 and 10:30 AM; 1:00 PM Spanish

The procession of the Palms is a procession of Christ the King: we profess the Kingship of Jesus Christ, we recognize Jesus as the Son of David, the true Solomon, the King of peace and justice. Recognizing him as King means accepting him as the One who shows us the way, in whom we trust and whom we follow. It means accepting his Word day after day as a valid criterion for our life. It means seeing in him the authority to which we submit. We submit to him because his authority is the authority of the truth.

The procession of the Palms — as it was at that time for the disciples — is primarily an expression of joy because we are able to recognize Jesus, because he allows us to be his friends and because he has given us the key to life. This joy, however, which is at the beginning, is also an expression of our "yes" to Jesus and our willingness to go with him wherever he takes us. The exhortation with which our Liturgy today begins, there-fore, correctly interprets the procession as a symbolic represen-tation of what we call the "following of Christ." The expres-sion "following of Christ" is a description of the whole of Christian existence. In what does it consist? What does "to follow Christ" actually mean?

At the outset, with the first disciples, its meaning was very simple and immediate: it meant that to go with Jesus these peo-ple decided to give up their profession, their affairs, their whole life. It meant undertaking a new profession: disciple-ship. The fundamental content of this profession was accompa-nying the Teacher and total entrustment to his guidance. The "following" was therefore something external, but at the same time very internal. The exterior aspect was walking behind Jesus on his journeys through Palestine; the interior aspect was the new existential orientation whose reference points were no longer in events, in work as a source of income or in the per-sonal will, but consisted in total abandonment to the will of Another. Being at his disposal, henceforth, became the raison d'être of life.

It is a question of the fundamental decision no longer to con-sider usefulness and gain, my career and success as the ulti-mate goals of my life, but instead to recognize truth and love as authentic criteria. It is a question of choosing between living only for myself or giving myself — for what is greater. And let us understand properly that truth and love are not abstract val-ues; in Jesus Christ they have become a person. By following him, I enter into the service of truth and love. By losing myself I find myself.

Acclaiming Christ as King

From the writings of Pope Benedict

LECTURAS DE HOY Evangelio para la procesión de las palmas -- ¡Bendito el que viene en nombre del Señor! (Lucas 19:28-40) Primera lectura -- A pesar de mi sufrimientos no quedaré confundido. No me siento avergonzado (Isaías 50:4-7). Salmo -- Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿por qué me has abandona-do? (Salmo 21). Segunda lectura -- Jesús se despojó totalmente y Dios lo llenó de exaltación (Filipenses 2:6-11). Evangelio -- El recuento de la pasión de Cristo según san Mateo (Mateo 26:14 -- 27:66).

PARA VER A CRISTO CLARAMENTE Hoy comenzamos viendo a través de las puertas de Jeru-salén, vemos a la multitud, aclamando y agitando ramos de olivo en el aire. Es una atmósfera de júbilo, triunfo y cele-bración. Podemos distraernos o embelesarnos con la esce-na y no ver claramente las características de Jesús cuando entra. Pero nuestras lecturas de Isaías y la carta de Pablo a los filipenses aclaran estas características. Él es el Siervo que Sufre, manso y callado ante sus captores y persegui-dores; es la mismísima imagen del Dios invisible, sin em-bargo, no se aferrará a la igualdad con Dios antes de sufrir su enfrentamiento final en humildad. Isaías y Pablo nos ayudan a "ver al Cordero de Dios" antes de oír el relato de su mayor y último enfrentamiento. Es importante que veamos a Cristo claramente antes de oír el relato de su Pasión, porque nosotros -su Cuerpo por medio del Bautis-mo, la Iglesia- somos su rostro. Debemos, junto con él, pasar por este tiempo de sufrimiento para que podamos, también junto con él, pasar por su triunfo final.

LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Lunes Is 42:1-7; Sal 27 (26):1-3, 13-14; Jn 12:1-11

Martes Is 49:1-6; Sal 71 (70):1-6, 15, 17; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

Miércoles Is 50:4-9a; Sal 69 (68):8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Mt 26:14-25

Jueves Misa del crisma: Is 61:1-3ab, 6a, 8b-9; Sal 89 (88):21-22, 25, 27; Apo 1:5-8; Lc 4:16-21 Cena del Señor: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; Sal 116 (115):12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15

Viernes Is 52:13 -- 53:12; Sal 31 (30):2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1 -- 19:42

Sábado a) Gn 1:1 -- 2:2 [1:1, 26-31a]; Sal 104 (103):1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35; o Sal 32:4-7, 12-13, 20-22; b) Gn 22:1-18 [1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18]; Sal 15: 5, 8-11; c) Ex 14:15 -- 15:1; Ex 15:1-6, 17-18; d) Is 54:5-14; Sal 29:2, 4-6, 11-13; e) Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-6; f) Bar 3:9-15, 32 -- 4:4; Sal 18:8-11; g) Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Sal 41:3, 5; 43:3-4 o Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 o Sal 50:12-15, 18-19; h) Rom 6:3-11; i) Mt 28:1-10

Domingo Hch 10:34a, 37-43; Sal 117:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Col 3:1-4 o 1 Cor 5:6b-8; Jn 20:1-9 o Mt 28:1-10 o (en la Misa de la tarde o la noche) Lc 24:13-35

TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE El Viernes Santo es el día más impresionante que se con-memora en el calendario cristiano. Es el día en que Jesús, muriendo en la cruz, se revela al mismo tiempo como Hijo del Hombre e Hijo de Dios. Los hispanos conmemoramos este día no sólo con la liturgia oficial de la Iglesia, sino también con nuestras devociones populares como el Vía crucis en vivo, el Pésame a la Virgen y el sermón de las Si-ete Palabras. Esta última devoción es también conocida como el Sermón de tres horas y es mayormente usada por las Iglesias protestantes, sin embargo, tiene su origen gra-cias al sacerdote Jesuita Francisco del Castillo, en Perú. Como Jesús, este santo varón dedicó toda su vida a los pobres y marginados. El Viernes Santo de 1660, mientras predicaba en la iglesia de Nuestra de Señora de los Desamparados, ante la efigie del Señor en agonía, decidió hacer una comparación del sufrimiento de Cristo al su-frimiento de los desamparados, llamando a los cristianos al apostolado de caridad y justicia. Las siete últimas palabras de Jesucristo deben movernos al servicio de los desamparados.

Felicitaciones a las parejas Celebrando su 50 Aniversario en 2017.

Usted está invitado por Cardenal Dolan a la Anual Misa de oro del jubileo de la boda

Catedral de San Patricio Domingo, 11 de junio a las 2PM

Se requiere un pre-registro. Por favor llame a la rectoría tan

pronto como sea posible.

P A R I S H M I N I S T R I E S & C H A I R Buildings & Grounds Pat Miele, Alex Aguilar, Buzz Johnson Deanery TBD Eucharistic Adoration Dcn Robert Pang Health Mary Loftus Hispanic Community Mario Zamora Hospitality Robin Miller Men’s Club Bill Loftus. Ralph Olsen Ushers Jake Miraglia Music Elise Espinosa, Chris & Carolyn Yates, Spanish Choir Carlos Cerna, William Martinez Outreach Maria Nest Parish Council Scott Giblin Parish Worship Dcn John Cunningham Religious Education Kathleen Dunn RCIA Dcn Robert Pang, Jose Bolaños Right to Life Scott Giblin Social TBD Spiritual Life Johanna Krumm St. Vincent De Paul Fr. Tom Kunnel

P A R I S H C O U N C I L Kathleen Dunn, Scott Giblin. Paul Johnson, Andrew Lee, Martina

Lynch, William Martinez, Maria Nest , Ralph Olsen, May Pang, Carolyn Yates, Janet Zahn

T R U S T E E S Phil McCartin James Pontone

Our Sacramental Life

Baptism: Please call the Rectory well in advance of the expected day of Baptism to arrange an appointment for an interview. Pre-baptismal meeting for parents is required. Godparents must be confirmed, practicing Catholics. Generally Baptisms are celebrated the third Sunday of each month at 12:00 pm.

Reconciliation: Confessions are heard from 4:30-5:00 pm on Saturday. You may also make an appointment with Fr. Tom. Spanish confessions is availa-ble from 12:30–1:00 PM on Sundays.

Marriage: Marriages should be arranged at least six months in advance. Participation in Pre-Cana is essential. Please call the Rectory to schedule an appointment with Fr. Tom.

Anointing of the Sick: Before you enter the hospital for elective surgery or other serious treatment, and for those who have need of spiritual healing. In an emergency, please call Fr. Tom’s mobile 845 608 9358.

Holy Orders: Any gentleman interested in exploring the question of vocation to the priesthood or the permanent diaconate should contact Fr. Tom Kunnel. We would also be happy to direct anyone interested in living their lives as Religious Sisters or Brothers.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: For instruction for Baptism, Confirma-tion and Eucharist for adults and to learn about Catholic Faith. If interested please contact Dcn Robert Pang.

For more details and forms—www.stjohnspiermont.org

Parish Registration: All adults (over age 21) should register in the parish themselves and should use envelopes or parishpay.com. Tithing is 5% of income. This registration is our only means of certifying anyone as a member of the parish, especially for Baptism and Confirmation sponsorship

Answers Chri(s)t, (H)umbled, Hu(m)an, (A)bove,

(E)arth Solution - SHAME