Thursday, January 13, 2022 |
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| PASTORAL REFLECTION Sister Ann Parker, IHM As the Church enters into the period of Ordinary Time, our gospel this week takes us to a wedding. Among the invited guests, we find Jesus, Mary and some disciples. Like any attentive mother, Mary becomes aware of a problem and believes her Son can provide a solution. Mary's words and thoughts: "Do whatever he tells you", speak of her faith and confidence. I know him...I believe in him...I trust him! |
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| Mass and Prayer Service for Life This year Little Flower will be holding a Mass and Prayer Service for Life on Friday, January 21st, from noon to 2:00 pm in the church, to coincide with the annual March for Life. The schedule will be as follows: - 12:00-12:30 pm: Mass
- 12:30-1:00 pm: Rosary for Life
- 1:00-1:30 pm: Stations of the Cross for Life
- 1:30-2:00 pm: Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration
Please join us for this event, or for a portion of it, as we pray for a greater respect for life from conception until natural death. If anyone wishes to meet other Little Flower parishioners at the National Mall in order to march together, please contact Kathleen Paravano at littleflowerrespectlife@gmail.com |
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| FIRST THURSDAY TALK Please join us for Msgr. Vaghi's lecture series, entitled "The Pandemic Challenge: A Renewed Appreciation of the Eucharist" The next talk will be Thursday, February 3 at 7:30 am in the Church. The February talk title is: "Liturgy of the Word" All are welcome! |
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| PRAYERS FOR THE DECEASED – Please pray for the repose of the souls of Kathleen Annarella, Michael Bradshaw, Mary Brown, Ed and Helen Ann Hanner, Maria Hunkeler, Kathleen Houlding, Elizabeth Hunton, Hal Hunton, Carlos Jingco, Mary Lynn Lawler, Gere Lynch, Norbert Max, Joseph McGuinness, Barry Nace, Gale O'Laughlin, Alberto Piedra, Terry Radigan, James Smith, John Sweeney, John Wallerstedt, Robert Walsh. FOR THE SICK – Please pray for the sick members of our parish and for all who are in need. Keep these and all the intentions of our parish in your prayers. |
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| STEWARDSHIP As January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, an appropriate devotion would be to recite the Litany in His name at Litany of the Holy Name - YouTube. "I believe with a passionate, unshakable conviction that in all circumstances and at all times life is a blessed gift; the spirit that animates it is one of love, not hate or indifference of light, not darkness, .." (Malcolm Muggeridge, former editor of "Punch," English intellectual and convert to Catholicism) |
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Saints as Model Stewards – May the saints we honor next week inspire us to use our own time and unique God-given talents as he would have us do. Monday - St. Anthony of Egypt (d. 356 at age 105!), who is regarded as the founder of Christian monasticism. One morning at Mass he heard the Gospel words, "Go and sell what you have and give money to the poor." He thereupon sold off his sizeable inheritance and moved to the desert to live a life of mortification and prayer. Despite this life, one biographer wrote, "Strangers knew him by the joy on his face" May his example inspire us to re-order our priorities and put God first in our lives. Thursday - St. Fabian (d.250), pope, was martyred during the persecution of Christians. St. Cyprian speaks of his death as "an example of faith and courage." Also on Thursday – St. Sebastian, who served in Emperor Diocletian's military, was sentenced in 288 to be executed for his faith and for aiding Christians. Although he was pierced by archers and left to die, according to legend, a Christian widow nursed him back to health. Enraged, the emperor had him beaten to death. May we too stand fast when defending our faith seems difficult. Friday – St. Agnes (d. 304) was chosen in 1906 as the patroness of the predecessor of our parish, then in Glen Echo. St Agnes was martyred when she was only 12 years old because she rebuffed her would-be suitors, declaring herself a bride of Christ. Holiness is not a matter of age or ability, but of our willingness to remain faithful to Christ – no matter the cost. Saturday – St. Vincent was a Spanish deacon who was, like St. Agnes, martyred in 304 during the Diocletian persecutions. He was starved and tortured in a vain attempt to have him recant his faith. Even today fellow Christians in some countries are being persecuted, and sometimes martyred. Please pray for them. Poor Box – As January marks the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, the parish traditionally sends its Poor Box donations to life-affirming crisis pregnancy centers with which individual parishioners have volunteered their services continuously for almost 30 years. This month's contributions will be donated to Centro Tepeyac and the Shady Grove Pregnancy Center. |
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| ONLINE GIVING Please consider enrolling in our eGiving system. Faith Direct allows you to support our parish and our ministries even when you are unable to join us for Mass. The secure enrollment process is simple and takes less than 3 minutes to complete. Please consider enrolling in Faith Direct or increasing your level of giving. You may also make a safe and secure one-time Christmas gift online. God bless and many thanks. |
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IMPORTANT REVISED GUIDELINES FOR MASS • Masks are required for all participants at indoor Masses and parish events by government edict in Montgomery County. It is ADW policy that masks are required for students, staff, and visitors in school buildings.
• The Sign of Peace may be offered by using a gesture, such as a bow or wave, but shaking hands should be avoided.
• At Holy Communion, the Archdiocese of Washington continues to discourage receiving the Host on the tongue, so those who normally do so, in consideration of the ministers and others, are respectfully asked to receive in the hand.
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