Est. May 19, 1822
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Weekly Prayer and Update - March 31
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Our Mission: Love God, love others, proclaim the good news, and make disciples.
Our Vision: A vibrant Catholic community of growing disciples, witnessing the Gospel
and leading all to Jesus Christ.
This Sunday's Gospel Reflection
April 2 -Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040223.cfm
Contemplation from Lectio Divina
What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be.
When has my faith been tested or shaken? How can I seek God’s grace to strengthen my faith?
“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
When has God asked me to do something I found difficult? How can I be more eager to follow God’s will for me?
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
What weaknesses keep me from living an authentic Christian life of love and service? How can I discipline my will so that I follow the Spirit’s promptings?
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!
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 April 2.
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!
Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Colleen Sisolak 410-592-6206 Ext. 108
youthministry@sjehydes.org
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.
Religious Education Faith Formation
Theresa Konitzer 410-592-6206 Ext. 107
konitzermt@sjehydes.org
The schedule for Faith Formation classes for the next four weeks is as follows:
Grades K - 8
Sunday, Apr 2: Classes - School (Palm Sunday)
Sunday, Apr 9: No Classes - Easter Sunday
Sunday, Apr 16: Classes - School
Sunday, Apr 23: Classes - School
Holy Week
April 2 – Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. What have you learned on your Lenten journey so far: How will you walk with Jesus this week?
Reflect on this sacred week at crsricebowl.org/holy-week.
April 3 – We pray for our sisters and brothers around the world, especially for people who are most vulnerable. May we be moved to put our faith into action and build a more just world for all. Amen.
April 4 – During Holy Week, one tradition in Honduras is to fill the street with carpets of colored sand that are made into pictures of Jesus.
April 5 – The word passion means suffering. Reflect on the Passion of Jesus to remember how much God loves us and how we can show that love to others in our community and around the world.
April 6 – Holy Week – In the Philippines, Holy Week is a reflective time to remember the suffering of Jesus through prayerful processions and plays. Spend five minutes in prayer today meditating on Jesus’ love and sacrifice.
April 7 – Good Friday – Today, Catholics from the ages of 18 to 59 are asked to fast and abstain from eating meat to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. What other sacrifices can you make today?
April 8 – Holy Saturday – Growing a garden refreshes our spirit and brings a sense of peace. As you patiently await the resurrection of Jesus, try planting something inside or outside today.
April 9 – Easter Sunday – Jesus Christ is risen today? Alleluia! May this joyful day inspire us to put our faith into action and transform our world so that all people can live with dignity.
CRS Rice Bowl
Please drop off your Lenten Rice Bowl Boxes on April 1/2 in the white box labeled “CRS Rice Bowl” in the Church Narthex. If you forget your box, you can drop it off at the Parish Office Monday – Thursday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
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.
FORMED Suggestions for Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday
Here are some suggestions for what to watch on FORMED during the Easter Season and about Divine Mercy Sunday:
For the Easter Season
Easter Sunday (Year A) – a brief reflection on this year’s Easter readings
Jesus’ Resurrection – a Bible study discussion on the scriptures about the Resurrection
Easter Monday – Resurrection reflections
Eastertide Special: The Annie Moses Show – a religious variety type entertainment show
Easter in Art series – explore various artistic depictions of Easter
A Bible Study on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
For Divine Mercy Sunday – April 16, 2023
Ocean of Mercy – the history of St. Faustina, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II
Misery meets Mercy – a discussion about St. Faustina
God’s School of Trust – a Divine Mercy series
Several recitations of the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Second Sunday of Easter (Year A)
You can also sign up for daily reflections to be sent to your email to help you with your prayer.
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
“The Message of the Divine Mercy that Sr. Faustina received from the Lord was not only directed toward her personal growth in faith but also toward the good of the people. With the command of our Lord to paint an image according to the pattern that Sr. Faustina had seen, came also a request to have this image venerated, first in the Sisters’ chapel, and then throughout the world. The same is true with the revelations of the Chaplet. The Lord requested that this Chaplet be said not only by Sr. Faustina, but by others: “Encourage souls to say the Chaplet that I have given you.”
The same is true of the revelation of the Feast of Mercy. “The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my desire that it solemnly be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy.”
These requests of the Lord given to Sr. Faustina between 1931 and 1938 can be considered the beginning of the Divine Mercy Message and Devotion in the new forms.
Through the efforts of Sr. Faustina’s spiritual directors, Fr. Michael Sopocko, and Fr. Joseph Andrasz, SJ, and others — including the Marians of the Immaculate Conception — this message began to spread throughout the world.
However, it is important to remember that this message of The Divine Mercy, revealed to St. Faustina and to our present generation is not new. It is a powerful reminder of who God is and has been from the very beginning. This truth that God is in His very nature Love and Mercy Itself, is given to us by our Judeo-Christian faith and God’s self-revelation. The veil that has hidden the mystery of God from eternity was lifted by God Himself. In His goodness and love God chose to reveal Himself to us, His creatures, and to make known His eternal plan of salvation. This He had done partly through the Old Testament Patriarchs, Moses and the Prophets, and fully through His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the person of Jesus Christ, conceived through power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, the unseen God was made visible.” (“History of the Message and Devotion to Divine Mercy.” The Divine Mercy, www.thedivinemercy.org/message/history. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.)
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
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he initiated the chain of events that would lead to his execution. Palm Sunday is also our entrance into Holy Week. Lift your palm branches today in joy against the coming darkness. Find strength in praise of God to endure the Triduum’s trial close by our Savior’s side.
Possibly the bitterest truth of Holy Week is that we are complicit in Jesus’ crucifixion. “All have sinned,” Paul writes in the Letter to the Romans (3:23). Sadly, we can identify with Judas because we betray Jesus when we sin and avoid speaking about Him out of fear. We can identify with the crowd shouting “Crucify him!” because we condemn Jesus when we judge others.
Join our Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries so that our neighbors find the hope that comes from knowing that God can even use our sins for our salvation. The mercy of God has no limits, and our hearts cannot anticipate his dynamic goodness. Give to the Annual Appeal so that others may find hope in him this Easter. He is returning to us soon; take heart!
Our parish goal for the Appeal for Catholic Ministries is $82,248. We are about 77% of the way there, with $63,620. 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.
Those who are sick or homebound are welcome to join us for St. John’s Online Mass on Sundays at 9:00 AM. We will livestream and record Mass on the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Hydes, MD) YouTube page. You do not need a Google or YouTube account to watch the livestream. Simply visit our YouTube page (https://bit.ly/StJohnLGVYouTube) and select the "Live" tab.
A link to the livestream will also be posted to our Facebook page each week.
