What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. How have I experienced God’s glory and felt his presence? How can I glorify God through my life?
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. What do I imagine that heaven will be like? How do I nurture the hope of eternal life?
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. What people and experiences have helped me grow in faith? How can I share my faith with those I meet?
What's New at SJE?
Find Out in the Weekly Bulletin and Our Website!
There's a lot more news than what's highlighted in the weekly Flocknote! Be sure to check out the full Sunday bulletin to stay in the loop. Our website, www.sjehydes.org, is another great resource to stay connected.
Click here for the bulletin, where you'll find all the latest news and information, including information about:
Fr. Pete's Weekly Pastor's Notes
Religious Education Faith Formation News
Youth Ministry News
School News
Mass Intentions
Prayers for the Sick/Deceased
and MORE!
When you click here for the bulletin, you'll be able to "View Current Bulletin" as well as previous editions. If you submit your email address in the box under "Enter Email to Receive Current Bulletin," you'll receive an email each week with the bulletin link.
Prayer Ministry This Weekend
Prayer Ministry consists of teams of trained Prayer Ministers who are able to pray with you and for you regarding specific requests or special intentions. Prayer Ministers serve as intercessors in the parish community to fulfill the call to pray for one another. After all Masses on the last weekend of each month, Prayer Teams will be stationed around the sides of the church sanctuary. Simply approach a Prayer Team member, tell them your concerns, and allow them to pray with you and for you, knowing that God hears and answers our prayers. Prayer Ministers will be available after all Masses next weekend, March 25/26.
Children's Liturgy of the Word
St. John is so excited to once again offer children ages 5 to 10 an opportunity to hear God’s word in a way that is designed just for them. The children will be called to the Altar for a blessing before being taken to the Church Hall for their own lesson on the day’s readings. The children return to celebrate the rest of the Mass with their families after the Homily. We will have CLOW at 9 AM Mass on March . For more information or to help serve in this ministry, contact Melanie Hecht at mlhecht927@protonmail.com. It is a great place for adults and teens to serve!
Tech Ministry
We are looking for people to help run the projection screens in the church at our 5:00 PM Saturday and 11:30 AM Sunday Masses. Volunteers must be 14 years or older and Virtus certified. Please help make our Masses more accessible and inclusive for parishioners and visitors! The projection software is simple to use and training will be provided. In addition, we are always looking for more volunteers to run our Sunday livestream. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Megan Malkus at malkusmn@sjehydes.org or 410-592-6206 ext. 104.
Middle School Earth Day Service We invite all middle school students to join us for an afternoon of service centered around Earth Day on April 20 from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM. Please bring $10 to offset the cost of supplies.
Middle School Dance Put on your dancing shoes and grab all your friends for an evening of fun, food, and dancing! Our middle school dance will be on Saturday, April 22 in the church hall. Please attend the 5:00 PM Mass before the dance.
Young Adult Small Group College-aged Small group continues to meet on Sundays beginning at 1 PM. Please attend 11:30 AM Mass, then head up the hill to the Koontz House for conversation and fellowship with others your age. (Being a college student is not a requirement to attend, being between the ages of 18-24 is.) Anyone interested in joining this small group, please contact Skylar Ohl at skylarohl@gmail.com
Confirmation 2023 The next Confirmation preparation session will take place on Tuesday, April 4, starting at 6:45 PM in the Koontz House.
High School Service Sunday All high schoolers are welcome to join us for a service project on Sunday, April 16, after 9:00 AM Mass. We will socialize, pray together, and complete a project that will serve our community!
P3 Prayer, Penance, Pub returns on Thursday, April 20. Young adults are invited to St. Joan of Arc in Aberdeen from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM for Adoration and Reconciliation followed by time to socialize with peers.
Young Adult Steubenville Conference Power & Purpose Conference for young adults will take place from June 9 to 11 in Steubenville, Ohio. Come experience the Holy Spirit’s power and healing. Allow him to reveal the purpose of your life: to live in true freedom and joy of the Spirit. Be uplifted by the witness and fellowship of disciples like you.
The schedule for Faith Formation classes for the next four weeks is as follows: Grades K - 8 Sunday, Mar 26: Classes - School Sunday, Apr 2: Classes - School (Palm Sunday) Sunday, Apr 9: No Classes - Easter Sunday Sunday, Apr 16: Classes - School
Our Sacrifices Lead us to the Resurrection Lent can feel like a long time. Sometimes we’d like to skip right to Easter! But just like studying for a test, practicing a sport or saving money, we often must do difficult tasks, make sacrifices and overcome obstacles to reach a worthy goal. The 40 days we spend praying and doing penance help us prepare to celebrate the Church’s greatest feast day. Jesus had to go through his passion and death before he could rise. Our sacrifices enable us to experience—in a small way—Christ’s suffering, and they lead us to the joy and wonder of his resurrection.
CRS Rice Bowl Over the last few weeks, we’ve learned how people in Honduras, the Philippines and Kenya made sacrifices so their families and communities can thrive. In Honduras, Rony fixed his reservoir and installed a low-cost system to water his fields. Although this work took time and effort, Rony’s hard work allowed him to provide food for his family and is helping his son achieve his soccer dream! In the Philippines, Raul and Rhodora changed their jobs to ensure their granddaughters can be healthy and finish school. It was challenging for them to learn a new and different type of work—raising fish—but it was worth it to help support their granddaughters. In Kenya, Rebecca learned how to use a new water system and different ways to farm. She also taught others in her community to use these new techniques. Rebecca spent time learning and teaching, but her sacrifice is now benefiting her family and entire community. How are you doing with your Lenten resolutions? How are your prayer, fasting and almsgiving going? Reflect on your Lenten journey and what you would like to accomplish or do differently during the final weeks of Lent to prepare for Easter. Catholic Relief Services “Operation Rice Bowl” boxes will be collected next weekend. There will be a white box in the Narthex marked “CRS Rice Bowl” where you can place your donations.
Reflection As Christians, we have a duty to give special care to people who are most in need. How do your Lenten sacrifices help our sisters and brothers who are most vulnerable?
Vacation Bible School 2023 St. John the Evangelist presents Hero Hotline, this year’s vacation bible school program. June 26 - 30, 2023 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Registration and permission forms at https://sjehydes.org/vacation-bible-school
Easter Flower Memorials
Our Lent mailing included an envelope for Easter flower donations to honor or remember loved ones at Easter time. Extra envelopes can be found in the parish office. Please return donations by April 7.
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross will be held in the chapel each Friday during Lent at 7:00 PM. Outdoor Stations of the Cross is also available for you to pray at your own time and pace. The stations are located near the bell tower, along with a box that contains prayer sheets.
FORMED Suggestions for Lent
Here are some more suggestions for what to watch on FORMED to help you during Lent to prepare for Easter:
Stations of the Cross –If you can’t make it to church on Fridays, there are many options for praying the Stations including one with “Brother Francis” for children as well as information to learn about them. 10 Things You Might Not Know About Lent – a short video (about 3 minutes) that explains some important facts about Lent. Great for adults and kids. The Triduum: A Spiritual Pilgrimage – a 30-minute contemplative documentary that cinematically walks through the locations of the Holy Week story.
For Holy Week there are many videos to help you through this holiest time of the Christian year. Here are some: FORMED Now: Understanding Palm Sunday Bible Study on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary The Last Supper with Dr. Brant Pitre The Agony in the Garden with Dr. Tim Gray The Passion of Christ with Dr. Elizabeth Klein The Resurrection with Dr. Michael Barber FORMED Now: Holy Thursday FORMED Now: Holy Saturday
You can also sign up for daily reflections to be sent to your email to help you with your prayer during this season of penance and reconciliation.
Last year we recommended Forgiven and Presence on the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. If you haven’t watched them, they are still available. If you did watch them, they may deserve a second viewing. There are many other videos and audio offerings on FORMED that are available to you and your family for free. To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps: • Go to https://signup.formed.org/ • Enter our parish’s zip code (21082) • Enter your name and your email address That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.
Spring Fling Silent Auction
The Spring Fling Committee is currently collecting donations for this year’s Silent Auction. Do you own a business or have a vacation home? Work for a generous company or have a friend or neighbor who could donate an item or two? We welcome your donations of gift certificates, event tickets, professional services, vacation spots, and more. Contact Silent Auction Chair, Dean Manzoni, at deanmanzoni1@gmail.com.
Divine Mercy Sunday
Last week we discussed The Divine Mercy Message by remembering ABC. Ask for His Mercy, Be merciful, and Completely trust in Jesus. This week we will learn more about Saint Maria Faustina. Sister Faustina was a young, uneducated nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland during the 1930s. She came from a poor family that struggled during the years of World War I. She only had three years of education, so she had the humblest tasks in the convent. However, she received extraordinary messages from our Lord Jesus. Jesus asked Sr. Faustina to record these experiences, which she compiled into notebooks. These notebooks are known today as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, and the words contained within are God’s loving message of Divine Mercy. Today, we continue to rely on St. Faustina as a constant reminder of the message to trust in Jesus’ endless mercy and to live life mercifully toward others. The Divine Mercy celebration will take place during the 11:30 AM Mass in the church on Sunday, April 16.
Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries
In today’s Gospel, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. In doing so, he forecasts two events: his return from the dead and ours. Death, and the events that follow, are challenging and often hide at the edge of our consciousness. It drives us to avoid aggressive drivers, work harder, or hold close the ones we love at goodbyes. As difficult as death is, the Resurrection is our hope and Lent is our time to pray, give and spread the word! “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” says Jesus (John 11:25). When you support our Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries, you enable us to deliver this same hope and mercy to those in need. Our parish goal for the Appeal for Catholic Ministries is $82,248. We are about 44% of the way there, with $36,145. To contribute, visit www.archbalt.org/appeal.
Our Daily Bread
We have pledged to provide 100+ casseroles on the first Monday of every other month to Our Daily Bread in Baltimore. Could you help us keep our commitment to feed the needy? Baking is done right in the disposable pan which is available in the narthex. Please bring the frozen casserole to the church hall kitchen prior to April 2. Short on time? A family size Stouffer’s Mac ‘n Cheese or “Wish list” items – cereal, sugar, tea bags, iced tea mix, lunch bags, zipper sandwich bags, or plastic forks are also welcome donations.
Spring Fling Flowers
The pre-order form for Spring Fling Flowers will be in this week's bulletin. Please return your filled-out form to the School, Parish Office, or Collection Basket no later than Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Pick up orders at the left side of the church Thursday, May 11, 1-2 pm & after 5 pm or Friday, May 12. Questions: Christine Dalton 410-733-5747 or Stephanie Froberg 410-804-8047
Sunday 9 AM Live-stream on YouTube for the Sick/Homebound
The live-streamed 9 AM Mass continues as a ministry for the sick and homebound.