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Rev. Tom Kunnel, C.O. , Administrator Deacon Robert Pang

MASSES: Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM 1:00 PM (Spanish)

Weekdays: 8:00 AM Saturday: 9:00 AM

Dear Parish Family,

The Gospel passage of this week-end contains some of the ‘tough-call-Christian-attitudes’ that Christ teaches in the background of his

ever famous ‘Sermon on the mount’. “Turn the other cheek” command was particularly derided by people who wanted to punch holes into the teachings of Christ as wanting in realism. We need a cultural context to catch the meaning of Jesus' example. In a mainly right-handed world, a slap across the right cheek is back-handed, and in first-century Medi-terranean culture, a back-handed slap was meant not so much to inflict physical injury as to dishonor the person slapped. If someone dishon-ored you with the demeaning back-handed slap, you were expected to reclaim your honor by responding in kind. Thus Jesus' suggestion would, in that context, be a surprising move, indicating that you simply refuse to be dishonored so easily, and refuse to be violent too.

The second example of handing over cloak presents a similar ploy. The situation of some-one taking someone else to court over a tunic is one of extreme oppression. As Exodus 22:26-27 commands: “If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset, for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.” So the oppressor is asking for something that violates the rights of the other. When Jesus suggests handing over the cloak as well, he is say-ing, in effect, “When you hand over your other garment, your naked-ness will expose not only your flesh but also the extent of your adver-sary's oppression.” This gesture will brew the little bit of humanity left in the oppressor to an act of justice and compassion.

Similarly, the example of “going the extra mile” also draws from a specific social context. The usual way for Jesus' contemporaries to be “pressed into service” was when they were enlisted by one of the occu-pying Roman soldiers to carry his backpack for him or carry a load (think of Simon of Cyrene enlisted to carry the Cross). For obvious reasons, this situation was a constant source of hostility between the occupying forces and the local people. One could paraphrase Jesus' example this way: “Instead of grudgingly carry the load of the Roman for a mile, carry it for two and get him punished for breaking his own law of oppressive behavior.”

Jesus’ teaching gives concrete examples of non-violent response to oppression. Rather than actions to be imitated literally, they were ex-amples meant to stimulate similar forms of creative nonviolence. These teachings of Jesus inspired Mahatma Gandhi to his famous salt march, exposing the oppression of British taxation. Closer to our own time and place, these teachings of Jesus led Martin Luther King, Jr., to his creative nonviolent practices of bus boycotts and restaurant sit-ins. It inspired Nelson Mandela to begin a University among the stone quarry slaves at Robben Island. Christ concludes by showing the inclu-siveness of the Creator's love as demonstrated in the universality of the gifts of sun-shine and rain. We need to bring our heart to accept God’s way as the only way worth living!

Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.

THE SANCTUARY LAMP Is Being Offered this week

Maureen Diana Requested by

Marlene & John Salimino

Please remember in your prayers the Sick and/or Homebound of our Parish Family. Anna Hick-ey, Larry Goswick, Ismaela Sanabria Maldonado, mother of Marleni, Edith & Ana, Anne O’Connor, Gino Galante, Helen Koza, Virginia McCauley Cook, Kristen Lynn, Helen Bark, Nijole Paronetto, Mary Lynch Donaldson sister of Peter Lynch, Johanna Krumm, Tim Armstrong, Eileen Moson, Madeline Moson, Michael McCormack, Joe Den-nerlein

As a Parish Family, let us remember in our prayers all our beloved departed members of our Parish Community Thomas Mielia, John Moson, father of Rick Moson, Arian-na Fojtlin, niece of Mildred Oslica, Gerardo Rodriguez Veyssier, Theresa Mayernik, sister of Fran Loftus, Maureen Diana, Marion Hinchcliff, mother of Una McHugh, Jessica Lee, Mary O’Rourke mother of Chris O’Rourke, Fr. John Dwyer, Cecilia Harlan, Eileen Wozniak PLEASE ADVISE THE RECTORY (359-0078) WHENEVER A PARISHION-ER BECOMES HOMEBOUND, ILL, OR HOSPITALIZED SO ARRANGE-MENTS CAN BE MADE FOR A PRIEST, DEACON OR EUCHARISTIC MINISTER TO VISIT AND BRING COMMUNION TO THEM.

Sat 2/22 4:00 PM Maureen Diana By Marlene & John Solimo

Sun 2/23 8:00 AM Eileen Wozniak

By Dcn Rob & May Pang

10:30 PM Mary O'Rourke Dcn Rob & May Pang

Mon 2/24 8:00 AM Cirila Dayula By Silva & Soriano Family

Tue 2/25 8:00 AM Cecelia Harlan By Mildred Oslica

Wed 2/26 8:00 AM

Joe Dennerlein (Healing) By Lynn Dennerlein

7:30 PM Families in the Parish

Thu 2/27 8:00 AM Edward & Cecelia Harlan By Br Michael Harlan

Fri 2/28 8:00 AM Bobby Corvino By Robin Miller

Sat 2/29 9:00 AM

Cecelia Harlan By Dcn Rob & May Pang

4:00 PM Connie Lynch By Ann Camera

Sun 3/1

8:00 AM

10:30 AM Wallace Malpica By Mario Pellegrino

There are NO CLASSES today or tomor-row. Classes resume next week. Please remember to participate in mass on Ash Wednesday this week. Prayer, fasting and alms-giving will prepare you body and soul for the glo-ry of Easter.

LENTEN DAY

Next Sunday from 9 am - 12 noon. A great morn-ing for ALL parents and children. We are asking each family to donate to our refreshment table in the form of bagels, donuts, fruit, cake, cupcakes, etc. Thank you for your generosity and God bless. Saint John the Baptist, pray for us!

Readings No. 871

7th Sunday of Ordinary Time

On Smart TV or Computer go to the Link on WWW.STJOHNSPIERMONT.ORG or

https://boxcast.tv/view/st-john-the-baptist-church-piermont-ny-144176 On ‘ROKU’ Select “Box Cast” Feb 23 Select the Channel “St John the Baptist Church Piermont NY”

On Smart Phone—Down load the Free App ‘st john piermont’ and link is under ‘Faith”

Liturgy Schedule Feb 29/Mar 1

Time Lector Eucharistic Minister Altar Servers

Sat 2/29 4:00 PM Carol Conklin-Spillane Brian Spillane

Sun 3/1

8:00 AM Catherine O’Brien Betsy Feeney

10:30 AM Jonathan Fanning Marge Olsen Kevin Contreras Oliver Young Owen Young 1:00 PM Carlos Hernandez Alex Aguilar Karen Umana Marleni Lemus Gabie Gonzalez

Mario Zamora David Gonzalez

Sun 23-Feb 11:30 AM Legion of Mary 1:30 Spanish Food fundraiser 7PM AA Meeting

Mon 24-Feb 6:30 PM Religious Ed Class

Tues 25-Feb 7PM Spanish Rehearsal for Passion Playu 7PM Altar Server Prep

Wed #####

8AM Ash Wed Mass 1:30 PM Piermont Sr. Meeting 730 PM Ash Wed Bilingual Mass 8:30 PM Amigos de Jesus Choir Practice

Thu 27-Feb 7PM Mensajeros de Jesus Choir Practicre

Fri 28-Feb 10AM Friday Renew Group 7PM Spanish Vigilia Curasma

Sat 29-Feb 10AM Setup for Lenten Day

6PM Spanish Marriage Movie

FOOLISHNESS Sometimes the idea of repentance seems old-fashioned, naïve, even foolish. But if you’re looking for real foolish-ness, you’ll find it in today’s readings. We begin with Leviticus and the admonition, “Take no re-venge and cherish no grudge” (Leviticus 19:18). We’ve heard that message before, of course, so we might forget how far it is from the so-called “practical realities of life.” Saint Paul warns us about being practical, though. Whoev-er considers oneself wise had better “become a fool,” be-cause “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God” (1 Corinthians 3:18, 19). This “foolishness” continues in the Gospel: “Offer no re-sistance to one who is evil” (Matthew 5:39). In fact, offer the other cheek when you’ve been slapped. Hand over your coat as well as your shirt. Be like God, who sends sunshine and rain on the bad as well as the good. “So be perfect,” says Jesus, “just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48).

Today’s Readings First Reading Take no revenge and cherish no grudge; love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18). Psalm — The Lord is kind and merciful (Psalm 103). Second Reading — You are the temple of God, and holy (1 Corinthians 3:16-23). Gospel — Offer no resistance; love your enemies (Matthew 5:38-48).Rom 5:12-19 [12, 17-19]; Mt 4:1-11

,2/16— $4414

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Jas 3:13-18; Ps 19:8-10, 15; Mk 9:14-29 Tuesday: Jas 4:1-10; Ps 55:7-11a, 23; Mk 9:30-37 Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; Ps 51:3-6ab, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor 5:20 — 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a; Ps 51:3-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15 Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-6; Lk 5:27-32 Sunday: Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Ps 51:3-6, 12-13, 17; Rom 5:12-19 [12, 17-19]; Mt 4:1-11

Spring Scripture Begins

“The Lives of Great Christians” (DVDs)

We enthusiastically look forward to stud-ying the lives of some of the most fa-mous Christians of all time. Some of the figures we will examine are St. Clare of Assisi, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. The-resa of Calcutta, St. Paul, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, his name sake Martin Luther King, and Die-trich Bonhoeffer. We will view these Christian lives from many perspectives, and see how people in radically different political and social circumstances have tried to use their strength and address their weaknesses in light of their call to the gospel life.

Professor William R. Cook, Ph.D., Distin-guished Teaching Professor of History, State University of New York at Genesco will be the presenter on DVD.

Starts, Tues, March 10 - June 2 (no class Apr. 28, Primary Day) St. John the Baptist RC Church

Connelly Hall 895 Piermont Ave

Piermont, NY 10968 $20 fee to cover Study Guide, expenses, coffee

All are welcome—bring a friend Email Johanna for more info

jkrumm25@verizon.net

Ash Wed 2/26 to Palm Sun 4/25

A prayer campaign for an end to abortion. For information about participating con-tact Eileen Petersen:

RachelMinister1@aol.com

In The Old Testament without Illusion,

biblical scholar John L. McKenzie notes that Christians have felt compelled to create and honor a political ethic where Christ is useless. But such a maneuver invites trage-dy, because the political is always in some way personal, and the personal, political. When we make decisions as a nation or a church as if the Incarnation has not happened and Jesus has not died, personal imitation sooner or later follows suit.

The way of Jesus stands in con-trast to our personal wars as well as our public ones. As McKenzie puts it, “You cannot be a Chris-tian in private and a secularist every place where your life im-pinges upon the public; or, to steal another phrase, you cannot serve God and Mammon.” McKenzie goes on to say that Chris-tians who think they can serve both God and Mammon support just wars. The same can be said for capital punish-ment.

It is not easy. The demons of the world and of our hearts seduce us into thinking that the ways of God cannot be followed in this time-bound journey. Even the commands that the Lord gave to Moses seemed so impractical. “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” They were to have no hatred for brother or sister, to take no revenge, to cherish no grudge against fellow citizens, to love their neighbors as themselves. So the Israelites, like all nations, all peo-ples, weighed the shrewdness of the world, of self-defense, of retaliation, on a balance with the wisdom of God.

For myself, what got me to speak less confidently about capital punishment and forgiveness of enemies was the terrible murder of a young girl, the daughter of a friend of mine. He was a fellow professor at the university and a deacon in a local parish. I found myself avoiding him, es-pecially after the murderers were caught and put on trial. I knew full well that he was aware of my facile arguments against capital punishment, and I was almost ashamed to have him look at me.

Finally one day we were suddenly on the same elevator; I could not escape. I murmured how difficult it must be to go through the trial, reliving his great loss once again.

“Yes,” he said, “but the hardest thing is trying to convince the prosecutors that we want life imprisonment without parole and not the death penalty. He doesn’t understand that we follow Christ in all of this.”

Here was someone, profoundly in-jured by an unjust aggressor, who really believed and wanted to prac-tice the words of Jesus. He really believed in a God who gives sun and rain to the unjust as well as the just. He really aspired to a love made perfect in the Crucified who asked forgiveness for enemies. He had entered the mystery of which Paul spoke. He knew that all things were his, and he was Christ’s, and Christ was God’s.

Are you not aware that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of

God dwells in you: lf anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Cor 3:16)

So also, somehow, is the criminal and the enemy, despite the empty wisdom of the worldly wise.

John Kavanaugh, SJ

LECTURAS DE HOY

Primera lectura - No te vengues ni guardes rencor, ama a tu prójimo como a ti mismo (Levítico 19:1-2, 17-18). Salmo — El Señor es compasivo y misericordioso (Salmo 103 [102]). Segunda lectura — Tú eres templo de Dios y eres san-to (1 Corintios 3:16-23). Evangelio — No ofrezcas resistencia; ama a tus enemi-gos (Mateo 5:38-48).

LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Lunes: Stgo 3:13-18; Sal 18:8-10, 15; Mc 9:14-29 Martes: Stgo 4:1-10; Sal 54:7-11a, 23; Mc 9:30-37 Miércoles: Jl 2:12-18; Sal 50:3-6ab, 12-14, 17; 2 Cor 5:20 — 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Jueves: Dt 30:15-20; Sal 1:1-4, 6; Lc 9:22-25 Viernes: Is 58:1-9a; Sal 50:3-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15 Sábado: Is 58:9b-14; Sal 85:1-6; Lc 5:27-32 Domingo: Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Sal 50:3-6, 12-13, 17; Rom 5:12-19 [12, 17-19]; Mt 4:1-11

Bienvenido a Ellana Rivera Chavez

Felicitaciones a los padres y padrinos del amado hijo de Dios, que el bautismo sea el comienzo de una vida de fe y un corazón lleno de bondad y amor.

NECEDAD A veces la noción del arrepentimiento parece anticuada, in-genua y hasta necia. Pero si buscas locura, la encontrarás en las lecturas de hoy. Comencemos con Levítico y la amonestación “no te vengues ni guardes rencor” (Levítico 19:18). Por supuesto que hemos escuchado este mensaje antes, y por eso puede que olvide-mos lo alejado que está de las “realidades prácticas de la vida”, contra las que nos advierte san Pablo. Será mejor que quien se considere sabio “se haga ignorante”, porque “la sabiduría de este mundo es ignorancia ante Dios” (1 Corinti-os 3:18, 19). Esta “locura” continúa en el Evangelio: “No hagan resisten-cia al hombre malo” (Mateo 5:39). De hecho, presenta la otra mejilla, si has sido golpeado. Dale tu abrigo al que te pide la camisa. Sé como Dios que manda el sol y la lluvia sobre justos e injustos. “Sean perfectos”, dice Jesús, “como su Padre celestial es perfecto” (5:48).

Miercoles de Ceniza

Misa 8:00 AM y

7:30 PM

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 Eucharistic Adoration Dcn Robert Pang Health Mary Loftus Hispanic Community Michaelina Maldonado Ministerios Marianos Luis y Aida Cachichabla Hospitality Robin Miller Men’s Club Bill Loftus. Ralph Olsen Ushers Jake Miraglia Music Elise Espinosa, Chris & Carolyn Yates, Ann Quattrocchi & Eileen Petersen Spanish Choir Carlos Cerna, William Martinez Outreach Maria Nest Parish Council Ralph Olsen Parish Worship Dcn Rob Pang Religious Education Kathleen Dunn RCIA Dcn Robert Pang, Nelson Zamora Catholic Daughters Marge Olsen Right to Life Scott Giblin Social May Pang Spiritual Life Johanna Krumm St. Vincent De Paul Fr. Tom Kunnel

P A R I S H C O U N C I L Alex Aguilar, Kathleen Dunn, Jonathan/Dominika Fanning, Lucia/Sal Caruana, Marleni Lemus, Ray/Beverly Sambrotto,

Irma Vasquez 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 Bap-tism to arrange an appointment for an interview. Pre-baptismal meeting for parents is required. Godparents must be confirmed, practicing Catholics. Gener-ally 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 available from 12:30–1:00 PM on Sundays.

Marriage: Marriages should be arranged at least six months in advance. Partici-pation in Pre-Cana is essential. Please call the Rectory to schedule an appoint-ment 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 letters and for scheduling Baptisms and Weddings.

Cecelia Harlan 1932 –2020

Eileen Wozniak 1944–2020