NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
ST. NICHOLAS PARISH From the Pastor’s Desk Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord which the Church observes on the Sixth of August. The importance of this feast replaces the celebration of the 18 th Sunday in Ordinary time. If we were following the sequence of gospel readings for the 18th week we would have read St. Matthew’s version of Jesus feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fish. If we missed it on Sunday we just happen to be reading this section of Matthew’s Gospel during our weekday masses. This happens every six years and we are subsequently getting a double dose as the readings overlap at this time. Setting the stage for this Sunday let us take a look at what we would have ordinarily heard last Sunday if we celebrated the 18 th Sunday. It is the story of Jesus feeding the multitude. Jesus and his disciples were going across the Sea of Galilee to find a quiet place to rest and pray. Instead of finding a quiet place to pray upon arriving Jesus was met with a large crowd. Jesus was moved to compassion for them since they came looking for him. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He taught them and cured their sick. As evening drew near his disciples approached him and said he should dismiss the crowd so they could go to the villages and get themselves something to eat. Jesus told his disciples that this was not necessary and that they should give them something to eat themselves. They responded that they only had five loaves and two fish. This was woefully inadequate in the face of so many! Nevertheless, they gave these to Jesus and he miraculously feeds the crowd of five-thousand plus with the five loaves and two fish. There were twelve baskets left over. Jesus reveals that he is Lord of creation. He heals the sick and he feeds the multitude. He is the Word through whom all was created. All creation belongs to him. All creation is good because of him who created all things. As Lord of creation he has the authority to heal and feed. This is not beyond his creative will. This is not a problem. Trouble and problems begin when humans give into the temptation of believing that we are the masters of creation. We forget that we are caretakers or stewards of creation. Humanity is often tempted to claim creation as our own: that we have sole authority over creation. There is a subtle hint of this in the way the disciples were holding on to what little they had; saving the fish and the loaves for themselves. The thought of sharing what little they had did not cross their minds. Jesus invited them to share what little they had by giving the loaves and fish to him. They were to give to him from their “poverty”: from their need. Jesus would do the rest. For his disciples this was a matter for them to learn to trust Jesus in all things when he invites them; even when they thought that they have nothing to give. Jesus clearly works through his disciples in ways that they can never fully understand. They only need to put their faith in Him. We pick up the Gospel for today. Jesus sends his disciples away in the boat. He proceeds to dismiss the crowd. He then goes up the mountain for that quiet place to pray. Jesus finally found what he was looking for: a quiet out-of-the-way place to pray. Yet first things first, Jesus out of compassion took care of the people first. This should remind us of the great compassion and mercy God has for all of us: we get His preferential attention and compassion. As today’s passage tells us, the disciples are making little progress as they row against strong winds and rough seas. It is just before dawn, when it is darkest, that they see Jesus walking toward them on the sea: they think he is a ghost. They are more fearful of the “ghost” than they are of the dangerous turbulent waters. Things begin to get better as they realize that it is not a
ghost but Jesus himself. Jesus has revealed himself as Lord of Creation in the feeding of the multitude, now he continues to reveal himself as the Lord of creation as he walks on the water: he has authority over his creation. In this particular case as Jesus reveals His Authority and Lordship, he also has power over all that threatens life; the most deadly of which are the forces of evil and sin. The imagery of Jesus walking on the turbulent waters echoes back to the Book of Genesis. Water is an imagery of chaos or the abyss. It is symbolic of danger, evil or sin. It is obvious that we need water for our survival in this world. Yet not all water is safe. It can be deceptive. It may look beautiful and capture our attention but some waters are dangerous and even deadly. (Note: the Dead Sea, the Great Salt Lake. Also, who knows what lurks below the surface?) In the curing and the feeding of the multitude the Lordship of Jesus Christ is revealed. Here the Lordship of Jesus Christ is revealed in his authority over life and death. The powers or forces of evil cannot lord it over him. The “waters” or the abyss cannot swallow him up. The imagery of Jesus walking on the water is a revelation that he has power and authority over all things, even evil, sin and death. He cannot be overpowered. Jesus walks on the turbulent waters. When asked he invites Peter to walk on the waters as well. At Jesus’ invitation He invites Peter to trust him and to share in his authority as he calls him out of the boat. Peter does well as he keeps his eyes on Jesus. But once Peter takes his eyes off Jesus he sees himself and what he is doing. He sees himself looking at the “danger” around him. Eyes off Jesus and only on himself in the midst of danger he begins to sink. The message here is Peter, in losing sight of Jesus and seeing what he is doing, senses this is happening by his own ability. This is similar to the disciples’ admitted inability to feed the multitude with five loaves and two fish on their own. On his own, it is impossible for Peter to actually walk on water. Relying on our own abilities alone, we fall short: we sink. What is particularly important about our passage today has to do with the way we face a sinful and fallen world. We cannot do it on our own. We are overwhelmed with the many problems and dangers that we face in our world. Preoccupied, we often overlook a more important need: salvation. The disciples were fishermen and they were used to rough waters. If we understand the imagery of the rough seas as our sinful world we too get used to the sinful world in which we live. The disciples were rowing against the winds and the rough seas and were making little progress. You get used to it! It is just the way it is! In our own lives we get so used to a sinful world and we find ourselves helpless in working against the winds and the rough seas. We make little progress. In one sense, if we can remain in the boat. We will find safety and not have to deal directly with the rough seas of a sinful world. At some point it gets personal. We will have to deal with the rough seas of our personal sinfulness. We will have to get out of our safe place in the boat where we have grown accustomed to the rough seas of our lives. Lord, if it is really you, call me to face my sinfulness and walk to you on the water. We are called to face our sinfulness directly by getting out of the safety of the boat and to trust Jesus and his authority over sin and death. We rightly suspect that it is our personal sin (the rough waters) that fearfully prevents us from putting our complete faith in Jesus Christ. If we take our eyes off him we will sink and get swallowed up in our sin. In short, it is only Jesus Christ who can save us. We cannot do it without him. He invites us to come to Him, in spite of our sins, to share in his life. Have a great week. Father Ralko
AUGUST 13, 2017 NOTE WELL: Tuesday is a Holy Day of Obligation, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. There will be two masses on Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. St. Thomas has mass at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Church Support AUGUST 6, 2017 OFFERTORY $12,951.55 Diocesan Tax ($650.00) Fenwick Subsidy ($3,060.00) Rosecrans subsidy ($290.00) Available for Parish Operations $8,951.55 Parish Operating Expenses ($8,200.00) Religious Education Expenses ($800.00) Other Income $2,300.00 Weekly surplus $2,251.55 May God bless you for supporting your parish
Thank you and God Bless. This week we pray Week III of the Liturgy of the hours. Zanesville Catholic Teens WELCOME BACK! Be Prepared To Get Wet! Sunday, August 27th 5:00-7:00 p.m. St. Nicholas Teen Center Do not wear your favorite clothes! Joint High School & Middle School Event Grades 6-12 Join us for good food and great fun! PRE JORDAN CLASS St. Nicholas will hold a Pre Jordan class for parents and godparents who wish to have their infants and small children baptized. The class will be on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Office Building. Please call Mary Lou Staker at 740-453-7141 to register.
RCIA – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults RCIA is for any individual who may be seeking to learn more about the Catholic faith. You may have a friend who is Catholic…you may be dating, engaged, or married to a Catholic…or you may just be seeking information on your own. You may have even been baptized a Catholic but never completed your initiation. If you are such a seeker, we welcome you! The St. Nicholas community invites you to check out the RCIA process with the hope that you will find an opportunity to grow closer to God at this time in your faith journey. RCIA begins on Wed. September 6 at 7 p.m. in the Parish Office Building, 955 East Main St. (enter on the Silliman St. side.) Call Mary Lou Staker at 740-453-7141 for more information. Bishop Fenwick Pre-School is looking for a Fulltime Preschool Teacher (Must have a PK-3 Ohio Teaching License), a Part time Preschool Teacher and an After School Attendant (will work from 2:00p.m.-6:00p.m.) If interested, please send a letter of interest and resume to
[email protected]. Thank you!
SCHEDULING HAS BEGUN! Appointment times are beginning to fill but there are many spaces still available. All families will be photographed for our directory Sept. 11-15 and 25-29 right here at the St. Nicholas Parish Office building. Our directory won’t be complete without you. Watch our bulletin for inserts and your mail for more information in the coming weeks. The online scheduler is up and ready now for those who are ready to choose their appointment time at https://booknow-lifetouch.appointmentplus.com/y3x6hqnc/ or call the parish office at 453-0597. We will be glad to schedule your appointment for you. THANK YOU!!! The St. Nicholas Parish Festival Committee would like to thank the St. Nicholas Parishioners, Bishop Fenwick School Parents and the entire Zanesville Community for another successful festival. It takes so many people to run the festival, that it is impossible to name each individual. So thank you if you worked one or more shifts, baked a cake or made a donation of any kind. Any help was greatly appreciated! Without each of you, the St. Nicholas Festival would not be possible. Thanks again!!! 2017 ST. NICHOLAS PARISH FESTIVAL WINNERS Capitol Prize Winners: $5000.00 – Joe Schaumleffel $100.00 – Margaret Nash, Mark Hill, Peggy Hill, Todd Johnson, Jane Church, Larry Burkhart, John Swartz, Carolyn Arnold, Cathy LaPlante and Diane Schoeppner Quilt Raffle: Helen Donnelly Chinese Auction Winners: Sue Hillis, Tony Coury, Renee Brennan, Diane Makin, Tammy O’Toole, Suzie Altier, Cathy McDaniel, Dennis Thomas, Bill Shaffer, Melanie Foraker, Amy Untied, Rita Wion, Chris Kerby, Diane Hawley, Tameka Phillis, Claire Tiberio, Valerie Worden, Jo Davis, Sharon Nunley, Jane Pfeifer, Patrick Wagner, Eric Terrill, Courtney, N. Metcalf, Nancy M., & M. DeMent THANK YOU to everyone who donated items or volunteered at the Chinese Auction to make it a success! Jennifer & Joe Baker WOMEN’S SPIRITUALITY We will resume our gatherings on Monday, September 25 at 3:30 p.m. in the parish office. We will meet on the last Monday of the month until spring. This year we will use Heaven Starts Now Becoming a Saint Day by Day. Fee for the book is $10.00. If you plan to join us or just want the book, please phone Judi Peterson at 740-453-5288. Books will be ordered September 1. SADIE CORRY PILGRIMAGE TO CAREY, OHIO Wednesday, October 4, 2016. Cost is $25.00. You may purchase your lunch at the cafeteria. Paid reservations needed by Wednesday, September 6th. Bus departure from K of C, Zanesville Sunrise Center, 7:55 a.m. and return about 6:45 p.m. For information call Mary Murphy at 452-4454 or Margaret Kronenbitter at 453-7657. Make checks payable and send to Margaret Kronenbitter, 2700 Wayne Ridge Rd., Zanesville, OH. 43701.
NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME LITURGICAL MINISTERS SCHEDULE It is your responsibility to find a substitute if needed.
What’s Happening in Our Parish
August 20, 2017- Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
MONDAY, August 14, St. Maximillian Kolbe
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Tuesday, August 15 @ 8:00 a.m. Lector: Sue Hillis, Bernard Budde Server: David Eppley, Justin Ewart Eucharistic Minister – Coord: Jim Hillis Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Chris Drake, Michael Drake Eucharistic Minister: Jennifer Bernett
8:00 a.m., Mass: Joanne Burson, Church 6:00 p.m. St. Vincent de Paul Meeting, Parish Office
TUESDAY, August 15, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 8:00 a.m., Mass: Jane Durant, Church 7:00 p.m., Mass: Sally Fleer, Church
WEDNESDAY, August 16, St. Stephan of Hungary Tuesday, August 15 @ 7:00 p.m. Lector: Paul Nestor, Diane Hoffer Server: Wesley Nestor, Nicholas Hoffer Eucharistic Minister – Coord: Claire Tiberio Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Gerald Tiberio, Susie Altier Eucharistic Minister: Robert LaPrad Saturday, August 19 @ 5:15 p.m. Lector: Nancy Susa, Bill Sullivan Server: Charles Peterson, Scott Peterson Eucharistic Minister – Coord: Vicki Burns Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Don Susa, Paula Peterson Eucharistic Minister: Dottie Durant, Alan Burns, Karen Robinson, Ronald Davis Sunday, August 20 @7:30 a.m. Lector: Diane Hoffer, Stephanie Bridwell Server: Luke Pratt, Libby Pratt Eucharistic Minister- Coord: Jim Hillis Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Sue Hillis, Judy Hamilton Eucharistic Minister: Marvin Paul Sunday, August 20 @ 9:30 a.m. Lector: George Kopf, Patti Logan Server: Mason Harmon, Rex Hankinson Eucharistic Minister - Coord: Jane Durant Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Erin Roush, Judi Peterson Eucharistic Minister: Laurie Harmon, Tom A. Durant, Cheryl Sylvester, Sandy Black Sunday, August 20 @ 11:30 a.m. Lector: Othello Repuyan, Bernard Budde Server: Christina Rozsa, Nathan Hart Eucharistic Minister - Coord: Paul Ritchey Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Molly Ritchey, Karen Hardman Eucharistic Minister: Dodi Sealock, Corinne Musselman, Mike Musselman, Carolyn Arnold
Our thoughts and prayers remain with those serving our country at this time and with their loved ones at home. We pray for a safe homecoming and that the world may one day be at peace. Please join us each Monday at St. Nicholas Church at 2:00 P.M. as we gather to pray the Rosary asking Our Lady’s Intercession for the
many needs of our nation, community, and parish.
8:00 a.m., Mass: For the Souls in Purgatory, Church
THURSDAY, August 17 8:00 a.m., Mass: Deceased members of the Tran Family, Church
FRIDAY, August 18 8:00 a.m., Mass: Blaine Kocoloski, Church
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time SATURDAY, August 19, St. John Eudes 4:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., Confessions, Church 5:15 p.m., Mass: Reg & Suann Grear, Church
SUNDAY, August 20 7:30 a.m., Mass: L/D Members of the Hohman & Crum Families, Church 9:30 a.m., Mass: Dr. Holly McAllister, Church 11:30 a.m., Mass: St. Nicholas Parishioners, Church
Readings for Week of August 14, 2017 Mon. . . . . . . . Tues. . . . . . . . Wed . . . . . . . . Thurs. . . . . . . . Fri. . . . . . . . . . Sat. . . . . . . . . . Sun . . . . . . . .
Dt 10:12-22 Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab Dt 34:1-12 Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17 Jos 24:1-13 Jos 24:14-29 Is 56:1, 6-7
Mt 17:22-27 Lk 1:39-56 Mt 18:15-20 Mt 18:21-19:1 Mt19:3-12 Mt 19:13-15 Mt 15:21-28
