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The Very Rev. Kevin McKenna
The poinsettias are gone, the lights are down, and the Christmas season is over - except, of course, for a few outstanding bills that might remind us of our generosity this past Christmas season. And now we begin the Ordinary Time of the Year and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. We come upon John the Baptist seeing Jesus and pointing to him: "This is the Lamb of God." This is the LAMB of God. We use that term so often we lose sight of its significance.
Perhaps John was thinking of the Passover lamb and the blood of the lamb which protected the houses of the Israelites on the night they left Egypt. On that night when the Angel of Death walked abroad and smote the first born of the Egyptians, the Israelites were to smear their doorposts with the blood of the slain lamb and the angel would see that blood and pass over that house. It was the blood of the lamb that delivered them from destruction. It has been suggested that even as John the Baptist saw Jesus, there passed by flocks of lambs, being driven up to Jerusalem from the country districts, to serve as sacrificial lambs for the Passover Feast. It may be that John was saying: "There is the one true sacrifice who can deliver you from death."
Jesus came to live as the Father wants us all to live. He sacrificed himself completely for others so that we could experience sacrificial love. He called us to use creation as the Father meant creation to be used.
The Lamb of God begins his ministry today. Our call, through baptism, is to become involved in Christ-centered ministry. We must give up any thoughts of using our service to achieve power, to lord over others, and instead, like Jesus, embrace prayer and forgiveness. When we sing the "Lamb of God," we are remembering what Jesus did for us and what he is empowering us to do.
John the Baptist was to point out the Lamb of God to the world. His mission was not different from the mission of every Christian. There is nothing greater that any of us can do in our lives than point out Christ to others. John looked to Jesus and said: "There is the Lamb of God." We have been called to do the same.
Thought for the week: At some point we have to realize that some people can stay in our hearts but not our lives.
Smile for the week: When the first car muffler was installed it was exhausting work.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!
Fr. Kevin McKenna
In a recent apostolic letter, Pope Francis institute the "Sunday of the Word of God" for all dioceses and churches throughout the world. The Pope proclaimed "I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God."
In response to the invitation of Pope Francis, one of the ways our parish will observe the Sunday of the Word of God is with a special presentation by Dr. Joseph Kelly entitled "Hearing the Word of God." The 45-minute session will be offered twice, following the 4 pm Mass on Saturday January 25th and again, following the 9:15 am Mass on Sunday January 26th.
We Catholics believe that the Bible contains the Word of God. But what does that mean? What is a word? How does God speak to us through the Bible? How can we put God's Word into action? You are invited to take time in this new year to learn more about this important aspect of our faith.
At these sessions further opportunity for parish Scripture Study will be announced.
"Blind Eyes Opened: The Truth about Sex Trafficking in America." Blind Eyes Opened is a first-of-a-kind Christian documentary that dives deep into the sex trafficking industry in the U.S. The film exposes the darkness that fuels demand, highlights survivors' transformations through Christ, engages lawmakers, law enforcement, organizations, ministries and experts across the country committed to ending the atrocities, all while showing Christ as the hope for all involved. Please consider attending one of these theaters that will be showing this film on Thursday January 23rd, 2020. Regal Eastview 13 @ 7:00pm, Regal Henrietta Cinema 18 @ 7:00 pm, AMC Webster 12 @ 7:00 pm and Cinemark Tinseltown USA @ 7:00 pm. You can buy tickets through www.fathomevents.com/events/blind-eyes-opened or any number of places including Fandango.
A significant part of our pastoral plan, Embracing the Future with Hope, has been the implementation of quarterly community dinners. The community dinners serve two purposes. First, they provide an opportunity for our parishioners to extend the fellowship of the Eucharist in a concrete way by joining together in a shared meal. Second, they offer our neighborhood friends an opportunity to join our community by breaking bread and engaging in conversation. We know that many of our neighbors are nor of our Faith. However, we hope that by being welcoming we may hold our the possibility that someday they may join us at the Eucharistic table.
Please join us at the next community dinner. It is on February 9th from 12:30 til 2:00 pm in the Cathedral Hall. The dinner will include the following : Barbecue Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans, Tossed Salad, Fruit Salad, and various desserts. Invite a friend or neighbor. The dinner is free and open to the public. All are welcome.
WEEKEND MASS TIMES
WEEKDAY MASS TIMES
January 20, 2020 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
There will be only one Mass at 9 am.
CONFESSIONS:
Whats Coming Up :
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the UNBORN Children: Wednesday January 22nd. (Wednesday, January 22nd, the forty-seventh anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision is designated as a Day of Prayer for the legal protection of unborn children. This weekend, our social ministry committee will be making beautiful prayer cards provided by the Knights of Columbus for you to keep and reflect on as we pray for an end to abortion and for all who support unborn babies and their families. We also request prayers for Bishop Salvatore Matano and for those who will be traveling to Washington, D.C. later this month to witness for the unborn and to support an end to abortion).
Joseph's Place Food Pantry open Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 from 1 pm - 3 pm (Josephs Place will be open from 1 - 3 pm on January 22nd, which are the normal hours of operation for the fourth Wednesday of each month.)
March for Life Chartered Buses on January 24, 2020, Washington DC (Please see the bulletin for locations and contact information for departing buses!)
Father Bob's Funeral Planning second meeting, Tuesday January 28th, 2019 (Father Bob Kennedy has invited everyone back again on Tuesday, January 28th to review the progress of your own planning and to try to answer any questions that you may have. If you were unable to attend the first round, you can also come and we'll catch you up! Our session will take place on Tuesday, January 28th at 1:00 pm and will be repeated at 7:00 pm that same day. We will do a quick review of the first session, and make the handouts available to you. You will then be ready to join the conversation!)
Bakers Needed for Baked Food Sale Feb 1st and 2nd (We will be holding a baked food sale as a fundraiser for our St. Joseph's table. Donations of baked goods are needed for the weekend of February 1 and 2. These baked goods will be on sale after all the Masses in the Narthex. Please bring your baked goods the day of the sale on February 1 and 2. If you have any questions, please contact the Cathedral Office at 254-3221, x 104.)
Bentley Vega is a five-year old parishioner at the Cathedral who has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. He is in need of a bone marrow transplant. If interested in being a possible donor, please contact BeTheMatch.org. You should be between the ages of 18 - 39, taking no medications, have no heart condition, no past history of cancer, and no sugar diabetes. Please continue to keep Bentley and his family in your prayers.
If you have an interest in learning more about the issue of human trafficking or want to attempt making a positive impact in the Rochester area lease contact Deacon Mike at 585-633-0397 or [email protected]
The Cathedral Community's Parish Goal ~ $ 79,113. We have Exceeded our Goal - 125.47%
Thank you to all who have made their pledge and for supporting our mission and for the success of exceeding our goal. We are very blessed and grateful. If you have not yet mailed in your CMA pledge, you can place your CMA pledge envelope in the collection basked or mail it directly to the Diocese of Rochester. Thank you.
Cathedral Library and Cafe Hours :
Monday - Wednesday - Friday 12:30 - 2:00 pm
Weekends - Before and After Mass or by appointment
All Are Welcome!!
Lots of Good Books!!!
Our Mission Statement
The Cathedral Community is a Roman Catholic parish of the Dioceses of Rochester that gathers and worships at Sacred Heart Cathedral. We are an ethnically, racially, and economically diverse community with unique gifts and challenges within an urban neighborhood.
Our mission is to reach out with hope to all in our community, neighborhood, and beyond, to proclaim the Gospel with joy and enthusiasm, and to prepare disciples who will go forth to serve God and others, especially the poor, with mercy and compassion.
Here's what we're doing to ensure that our children and vulnerable persons are safe:
DOR Creating A Safe Environment Information (click here)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
1150 Buffalo Road
Rochester, New York 14624
