ST MARY STAR OF THE SEA

PARISH

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

JANUARY 29, 2017

Mission Statement

We the people of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Ocean City, Maryland,

want to respond to God’s love for us by doing His will, to live the Gospel of

Jesus Christ and to love each other as Jesus loved us. In this way, He can live, as

Risen Lord, in our midst and attract all people to the Father. As part of the Church, we

want to be a “Home and School of Communion” where, through the celebration and

living out the Sacraments, and various ministries, each member can live in unity as a

child of God, building up the Kingdom of God until Jesus will come again in glory.

MASS SCHEDULE

ST. MARY STAR OF THE SEA CHURCH

CLOSED FOR THE WINTER

HOLY SAVIOR CHURCH

SUNDAY AT 7AM, 8:30AM & 10AM

MONDAY – THURSDAY AT 8:30AM

SATURDAY VIGIL AT 5:15PM

CONFESSIONS AT 4:15-5:00PM

BETHANY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

(MEMORIAL DAY—SEPTEMBER)

SATURDAY VIGIL AT 5:00PM

Dear parishioners and friends, Our journey as disciples of Jesus is bringing deep into the mystery of God’s love for us. This week, in the Word, we hear about the plan that He has for all of us: to re-establish His people, to form it anew, from the smallest and most humble to the powerful ones. He invites us all to be people of the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are the Magna Carta of Christianity. They not only reveal to us God’s heart but also help us to open the Mystery of God – through the Beatitudes the Kingdom of God, His presence among us, is revealed as accessible to all. The key to enter into this Mystery is found in a simple and yet difficult action: becoming “little.” It is through the virtue of humility that we can become great in the Kingdom. Once we access into the Mystery of God by living the Beatitudes we can experience them and find true happiness. We find the truest way to happiness in these beatitudes; while the world tells us to assert ourselves and dominate others through violence, Jesus invites us to take another approach – the opposite of what the “world” wants us to have. The real strength lies not in oppression, violence, destruction, but in cooperating with the creative action of God. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness, in a spiral of ever growing destruction. Let’s try this week to use the “attitude of the beatitudes,” and face our family differences, difficulties in the workplaces, etc. with the new heart that has been changed by the Love of God.

Bible Class is on every Thursday evening: 6:30-8Pm. Join us at any time, and be part of the wonderful jour-ney into God’s Word. A big Thank You to all those who organized and made it possible for us to celebrate the Day of Prayer for the Unborn, especially the members of the Liturgy and Social Concern Committees. Thanks also to Fr William Cocco for being the celebrant and speaker. Next week, after all masses, we will have the tradi-tional Blessing of the Throats. Mark your calendar:

February 12: Parish Breakfast February 22: Parish “Polish” Dinner

Do you know that you can donate

money to St Mary Star of the Sea

by using Amazon.com? Type

www.smile.amazon.com and search for our parish. Every

purchase you make allows us to receive a small donation

from amazon. It’s easy, and free. Thank you!

Readings for the Week of

January 29, 2017

Sunday: Zep 2:3; 3:12-13/Ps 146/1 Cor 1:26-31/Mt 5:1

-12a

Monday: Heb 11:32-40/Ps 31/Mk 5:1-20

Tuesday: Heb 12:1-4/Ps 22/Mk 5:21-43

Wednesday: Heb 12:4-7, 11-15/Ps 103/Mk 6:1-6

Thursday: Mal 3:1-4/Ps 24/Heb 2:14-18/Lk 2:22-40 or

2:22-32

Friday: Heb 13:1-8/Ps 27/Mk 6:14-29

Saturday: Heb 13:15-17, 20-21/Ps 23/Mk 6:30-34

Next Sunday: Is 58:7-10/Ps 112/1 Cor 2:1-5/Mt 5:13-

16

A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. ” (Ezek 36:26)

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

And I, as the one writing this brief commentary, and you too who read it or listen to it, we are all called to be part this new humanity. What’s more, we are called to build it around us, to make it present where we live and work. Just think what a tremendous mission has been put into our hands and how great the trust God gives us!

Instead of being depressed in the face of a society

that often seems corrupt, instead of resigning ourselves in the face of evils that are bigger than we are and closing ourselves off in our indifference, let’s enlarge our hearts “to the measure of the heart of Jesus. How much work that means! Yet this is the only thing necessary. When this is done, all is done,” wrote Chiara Lubich.

“It means loving everyone we meet as God loves

them,” she continued. “And since we live in time, we must love our neighbors one by one, without holding in our heart any remnant affection for the brother or sister met a moment before.”1

Let’s not trust in our frail strength and ability, but in

God’s gift to us: “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you.” If we let ourselves be governed by the invitation to love every person, if we let ourselves be guided by the voice of the Spirit in us, we become living cells of a new humanity, people who craft a new world, in the midst of the varieties of peoples and cultures.

Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI

1. Essential Writings. New City Press: New York, London, 2001, p. 81.

Each month the Focolare offers a Scripture passage as a guide and inspiration for daily living. Ever since the Focolare’s earliest years, founder Chiara Lubich (1920–2008) wrote her own commentaries each month. Now Fr. Fabio Ciardi, OMI, theologian and close collaborator of Lubich, heads a group of scripture experts who have been entrusted with the task of writing the Word of Life commentaries, reflecting her thoughts and her spirituality of unity. This monthly leaflet is also a supplement to Living City, the Focolare magazine (livingcitymagazine.com). For information and to subscribe to this leaflet or to the magazine, write to: Living City, 202 Comforter Blvd, Hyde Park, NY 12538; tel: 845-229-0496; e-mail: livingcity@livingcitymagazine.com. Visit focolare.org (international) or focolare.us (U.S.). © 2017 by Living City of the Focolare Movement, Inc.

The word “heart” makes us think of our affections, feelings and passions. For those writing the Bible, however, it meant a great deal more. Together with the spirit, the heart is the center of life, the center of what it means to be a person. It is the place where decisions are often made, a place where decisions are often made, a place of our inner being, our spiritual life. A heart of flesh lets itself be governed by the word of God, lets itself be led by it and thinks “thoughts of peace” toward its neighbours. A heart of stone is closed upon itself, incapable of listening and having mercy. Do we need a new heart and new spirit? It’s enough just to look around us. Violence, corruption and wars spring up from hearts of stone that are closed to God’s plan for creation. If with sincerity we also look within ourselves, do we not feel that we are often motivated by selfish desires? Are our decisions truly guided by love, by wanting the good for the other? Observing the sad state of our human race, God is moved by compassion. He, who knows us better than we do ourselves, knows we need a new heart. He promises this to the prophet Ezekiel, thinking not just of individuals, but of the whole of his people. The dream of God is to recreate his idea from the beginning, a great family of peoples, shaped by the law of mutual love. On one hand, history has shown that we are very often incapable of carrying out his project. On the other hand, it has also proven how God has never tired of putting himself on the line, even to the point of promis-ing he would himself give us a new heart and a new spirit. He lives up his promise in full when he sends his Son into the world and pours out his Spirit on the day of Pentecost. A community is born, the community of the first Christians in Jerusalem, an icon of humanity char-acterized by being “one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).

Focolare Word of Life—February, 2017

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. ”

(Ezek 36:26)

Thank you to everyone who has helped to financially support our parish during 2016. We know that some of you will need a letter for

taxes showing your donations for the year. Please con-tact the parish office either by phone or email and we will get it sent out to you. Thanks again!

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events!!!!!

Sunday, February 12th—All You Can Eat Breakfast

Wednesday, February 22, 2017—Polish Dinner

We will also be working in the kitchen on Saturday Feb-ruary 18th we will be preparing the yummy desserts you all enjoy during the polish dinner. If you would like to join in the fun and laughter and learn to make authentic polish desserts, please call the office to let us know you are coming!!!

The Right to Life Committee would like to

thank everyone who helped make our an-

nual day of prayer a success this year! Fr.

Cocco who was our guest speaker, mem-

bers of Liturgy, Social Concerns & Parish

Life Ministries. Your commitment to making this day a

success is greatly appreciated.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society also with St.

Mary’s Star of the Sea and St. Luke’s would

like to thank everyone for their generosity to-

wards the poor box and the food pantry. During the

month of December, we were able to assist 72 Adults

and 37 Children as well as distributing 92 Bags of Gro-

ceries. We are only able to continue to help our

neighbors thanks to your ongoing generosity.

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic

School is holding their annual Casino

Night February 25th 2017 6pm-

Midnight at the school. Blackjack, Poker, Mega 50/50

and more. Live Silent Auctions, catering by Touch Of

Italy and all our local favorites. Full cash bar and danc-

ing. Reservations available online at mostblessedsacra-

mentschool.com or by calling 410-208-1600. $50 at the

door.

January 28 Saturday 5:15pm Fred Sheheen January 29 Sunday 7:00am Parishioners 8:30a.m. Paul L. Santoni 10:00a.m. Charles Dondero January 30 Monday 8:30a.m. James Pohlen

January 31 Tuesday 8:30a.m. Robert Kiely

February 1 Wednesday 8:30a.m Stephen Chrenkova February 2 Thursday 8:30a.m. Carole Tetard LeBarre

February 3 Friday 9am-12noon Prayer & Adoration February 4 Saturday 5:15pm Ann Flanagan February 5 Sunday 7:00am Ray Bosley 8:30a.m. Parishioners 10:00a.m. Patricia & Lugene Cleary

If you would like a Sanctuary Candle lit for the week for a special intention or in memory of a loved one, please contact the parish office. A donation of $10.00 is appreciated. The Candle will be lit for special intentions of Ray & Adele Sarlitto & Jeanne Kolarik from God’s Helping Hands.

If you would like to have flowers placed on the altar in memory of or in special intention of a loved one, please contact the parish of-fice for additional information.

Baptisms are held on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. Please contact Rita Danhardt 410-289-7038 for additional information.

Low Gluten Hosts are available at all Masses. Please see the Adult Altar Server prior to Mass if you would like to receive one. Thank you

y

MASS INTENTIONS

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

From the desk of Mark J. Record,

Principal…

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School will celebrate

Catholic Schools Week during the week of January 29th

through February 4th. In doing so, we join Catholic schools

across the nation in proclaiming the value and benefits of a

Catholic school education and we join with our colleagues

and friends in celebrating the success of our school in

providing an excellent ministry of faith and education to our

175 families.

Catholic Schools Week

Vene, Sancte Spiritus

Sunday, January 29, 2017

1:00-3:00 Most Blessed Sacrament Admissions Open House

Monday, January 30, 2017

Spirit Day (Students wear Blue/White)

9:00 and 10:00 Science Is Everywhere Presentation

1:30 Pep Rally, Gymnasium (present class

cheers, 8th grade vs faculty volleyball game)

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Movie/Book Character Day (Students dress as their favorite character)

7:30 Pastries for Parents (Parent Classroom Visitations 9:00-11:00)

1:00-3:00 Movie/Game Day

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

10:00 Religion Jeopardy

Staff Appreciation Day

Thursday, February 2, 2017

8:30 Mass Entire School Attends

10:00 Talent Show

Friday, February 3, 2017

Sports Team Jersey Day

Special Guest Luncheon School Wide

Service Projects

School Wide Community Coat Drive

“ R e j o i c e a n d b e g l a d , for your reward will be great in heaven." So many rewards from being joyful

with your reward will be great in heaven. I love this verse!! I love to rejoice and be glad, however I have seen so many rewards. I am truly blessed to be able to work in an environment where I am not just able to, but encouraged and expected to share God’s Love and Joy! We have so many blessings …so many reasons to rejoice and be glad! One such blessing are the teens of this parish. Last Friday evening a group of teens gather for a lock in. A lock in is a full night of prayer, fellowship and fun! The teens of the parish are the best. We laughed so much and what a beautiful experience of Lectio Divina we shared as a group. Fr. Stanislao joined us late at night, or early in the morning to lead us in prayer. It was an awesome experience. So, a big Thank you to all who participated or helped make it a success! Special t hanks to the adults that worked hard with little or no sleep ~ Mary Frey, Trisha Kaufman, Lorraine Kolarik and Bob Danhardt! Yesterday our Sacrament class made their first Reconciliation! The had so much joy it was contagious! It is such an honor to walk with these children and their families as the learn about and experience the beauty of God’s loving forgiveness!! I ask you to keep them in your prayers as they continue preparation to receive First Holy Communion in April! Thank You! Have a beautiful week….be sure to rejoice and be glad!!! Thank God for his great blessings!

St Mary Star of the Sea TOP Group is running our annual Share the Warmth Drive We are accepting coats, hats, scarfs and socks toiletries and personal fleeces! So, as you look through your c l o s e t s please consider bring us your new or gently used coats and new socks, hats and gloves! Help us to share the warmth in our Community!!

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Religious Article Store ~ Big After Christmas Sale

February 11 and 12 all Christmas items marked

down 50% ….Don’t miss out!!!

THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

PARISH OFFICE HOURS Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 9am—5pm Wednesday & Friday 9am –3pm 410-289-0652 1705 Philadelphia Avenue Ocean City, MD 21842 Website: Stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com Facebook: Saint Mary Ocean City, MD Parish Pay: Automated Giving 1-866-727-4741 x 4 Parishpay.com

Pastor: Rev. Stanislao Esposito pastor@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com

Deacons: Rev. Mr. Wil Pinder Rev. Mr. Dave McDowell deacon@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com

Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Donna Santoni office@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com

Faith Formation: Mrs. Rita Danhardt Religioused@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com 410-289-7038

Music Director: Mr. Jordan Pantalone jspantalone1018@gmail.com

Facilities Manager: Mr. Tony Dicken, maintenance@stmarystaroftheseaocmd.com

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME