St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin
October 26, 1997

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Pastor's Thoughts

Applying this statement to Jesus who was fully divine and fully human, we realize that his divine power to forgive sins is very much in tune with his human quality to experience weakness, to know temptation, and to choose to follow the will of his heavenly Father.

If Jesus is so ready to forgive, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, two questions come to mind:

Why don't people go to confession more often?

When they do come, why don't they confess real sins?

Let me reflect on the second question first:

More often than not, many of the behaviors mentioned in confession are not so much sin as they are bad habits or actions which are symptoms of a sinful condition.

For example, anger or foul language themselves are not necessarily sinful, but they could be behaviors which hurt others or which show that a person is not taking of oneself.

Skipping morning or meal prayers is not a sin in itself unless it's an indication that a person doesn't choose to pray at all.

Confessing bad words or bad thoughts but not confessing prejudice and discrimination or rash judgment and grudges, confessing the staying away from Mass on Sunday because of sickness or bad weather but not confessing one's failure to participate actively during the Eucharist is missing the point of what is sin and what is reconciliation.

As for the first question, my guess is that people no longer come to confession the way they used to because of three reasons: pride in not wanting to admit sinfulness, laziness in not taking their practice of religion seriously, and immaturity in their faith development to fail to understand and acknowledge how they kill or damage or bruise their relationship with God and hence need forgiveness and reconciliation.

What do you think about this? Let me hear from you.

--Father Benet OFM
(Father Ken will be on a well-deserved vacation this week.)

Offering

This Week Cumulative
(10/19/97): (Week #16):
$5,453.06 $87,257.96
$4,165.14 $73,452.54
-1,287.92 -13,805.42
"Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God to offer gifts and sacrifices" (Heb 5:1). The offertory is a significant part of the eucharistic celebration. When we bring to the altar the bread and wine, along with money and good works, we are in communion with all of our brothers and sisters, offering our God-given gifts.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

About Worship:
--compiled by Brother Richard OFM

"We are tracing...the sometimes fine line between worship of God and idolatry. This is not to suggest that idols have been crafted and set up for worship in our churches. It is simply to remind us that idolatry is not a thing of the past, and to help us see that worship itself can become an idol. Perhaps our greatest temptation to idolatry is the temptation to 'worship' our own worship, to make it an end in itself. It is our task to preserve the liturgy as a treasure that has been handed down to us, but when such preservation becomes its own reward, the liturgy becomes a thing, and idol...[W]e must always be careful that our worship does not become an image of ourselves. The liturgy is an icon of the Lord's saving mystery in which we surely see our own redeemed reflection, but it must not become a vanity mirror...Worship that leads us back to ourselves...is a dead end where the worshipers are left to battle out their petty differences in a spirit that is less than holy."
Austin Flemming. Preparing for Liturgy: A Theology and Spirituality. Revised Edition. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1997.

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

Parish News

ALL SOULS MASS: At the 8:00am Mass on Sunday, All Souls Day, November 2, a choir of friars and laity will sing the Gregorian Chant Requiem Mass.

FOOD PANTRY NEWS: All are invited to Session 2 of the LEARN AND EARN program. The topic is "Cleaning and Saving" which will be held on Thursday, November 6, at 10:00am in the Youth Center. Clients will earn a gift; all can learn new ideas from our speaker, Betty Krull. Session 3 in December will be on the Welfare Reform Program.

OUR LADY'S INN BENEFIT LUNCHEON AND SILENT AUCTION on Thursday, October 30, beginning at 11:00am in St. Anthony Hall and following Mass in church at 10:00am; to make a reservation, offer an auction item, or order the cookbook "Pampered Chef," call 849-1478.

Mark Your Calendar

HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE

Catholic High Schools will host an Open House on Sunday, November 2. Guided tours, displays, demonstrations, and programs will be featured. Everyone is welcome! Please see the flyer posted in the back of church for the exact times at schools of interest to you.

RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS

(Remember that the religious are NOT covered by the new archdiocesan capital campaign; so say thanks to the sisters who taught you in school and the priests and brothers who served you in this parish by your particularly attentive contribution. The envelopes for this collection are in the pews. --Fr. Benet)

NEWS ABOUT PARISHIONERS

Socials

THIS WEEK AT RESURRECTION SENIOR CENTER

Mass Intentions for the Week

Liturgical Assistants

LECTORS:
6:30 Weekdays, 10/27-11/1: Alberta Stackle
8:00 Weekdays, 10/29-11/1: Georgia Berry
Sunday, November 1-2:
4:30 Matt Halbauer, Philipa Krueger
6:00 Georgia Berry
8:00 Steve & Sue Geldmacher
10:30 Scouts
6:30 Weekdays, Nov. 3-8: Georgia Berry
8:00 Weekdays, Nov. 3-8: Joe Sestric
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:
4:30 Hosts: Janice Leicht, Jackie Schmittgens
Cups: Tony Minnick, Jay Doolittle, Jerry & Phyllis Forchee
6:00 Phyllis Morrison
8:00 Hosts: Valerie Geldmacher, Robert Donahue
Cups: Marie Serafin, Bill & Doris Kamper, Mike Mount
10:30 Hosts: Bev Ruzicka, Patty Penrose
Cups: Rich Busiek, Brenda Boyer, Steve & Gloria Derickson, Theresa Mayer, Cheryl Degenhart

This Coming Week

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