E3 Updates!
 
1. It's been a while, so let's start off slow..
1a. ....we painted the youth room!....and then we didn't like it....so...we painted it again...stop by and give us the opinions we want to hear.
1b.....This week's youth fellowship event (July 17th/Ice Age Movie) has been postponed. New Date/Time will be up on the website soon.
1c....oh, hey! Have you been to the website? We've added a few cool things. Take a look at Word on Fire page, Theology of the Body page, and Fr. John Corpi's Testimony.

2. How's your summer going? I recall my summer vacation from high school and how much I loved the two month break...but man, does the time go by fast. Every day is a day closer to that first morning bell for class. And sometimes, if you are really quiet on one of these beautiful summer evenings, you can almost hear PA announcements echoing in the stillness...All that changes when you graduate and let me tell you, I'm glad I can't hear that bell anymore. I'm sure it would ruin everything about my summers. So...well...enjoy what's left...it's only the middle of July...I'm sure time will... stand still ...

3. We've finally hired a new staff member. No more being picked on by Wendy, Fr. Steve, and Debbie for being the "new guy"....oh, and the hazing...it's finally over! Just like upperclassmen picking on underclassmen year after year, it's time to perpetuate the cycle for no other reason than "they did it to me!" I'm going to put his stapler in jello. Please send other creative ideas to jphilip@smqa.net...
3.a. And on a serious note, let me say that I'm excited and blessed to have such a great man of God who really loves his faith and has a great desire to share his time and talents with our parish. More information on him coming soon, but he will be arriving mid-to-late August. Keep him and his family in your prayers!
3.b. If you know of a nice house up for rent/sale let me know.

4. Thinking about colleges to attend or send your teens? Check out the school both Raffy (new guy) and I attended- www.franciscan.edu.

5. Men are called to spiritual warfare- take a look! Warrior Brothers

6. Changes are coming to our CCD program. We need your prayers and support.A ton of volunteer opportunities are coming to St. Mary's (many for Sunday morning/afternoon) as well. We are developing an adult ministry track and we need those of you that are being called by God to help us minister. I'm confident God is calling a lot of you who read this so stop reading (well, maybe finish up first) and "Ask, Knock, Seek..."

7. Fun Fact 1: The speed of light in a vacuum is defined to be 299,792,458 metres per second (1,079,252,848.8 km/h, which is approximately 186,282.4 miles per second, or 670,616,629.38 miles per hour). The speed of light is denoted by the letter c, reputedly from the Latin celeritas, "speed", and also known as Einstein's constant. Note that this speed is a definition, not a measurement; in fact, the fundamental SI unit of distance, the metre, is defined in terms of the speed of light (it is the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second). The speed of light through a transparent medium (that is, not in vacuum) is less than c; the ratio of c to this speed is called the refractive index of the medium. "Speed of light" is sometimes abbreviated SOL.

8. Fun Fact 2: Science fun facts can not be returned for a full refund if after you take them out of the packaging, they turn out not to be so fun. They always get you with a restocking fee.

9. Random Act: Everyday this week, ask God to bring you to one person who needs to know about God's great love and mercy. Trust in the graces given and be bold.

10. Random Joke: What do you call a sleepwalking nun? A roam'in Catholic! (or courtesy of Collen Dell - a nun with a bad habit)

11. Sunday, July 19 Gospel Reading
 
The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
Mk 6:30-34
 

The Greatest "Catch-22" in History

God loves you so much that He would rather die than risk spending eternity without you.
Do you believe this statement above? Read it again, pray about it, and ask yourself, "Do I really believe this?"
This is the reality of the cross and the reality of God's unyielding love. God loves you so much (not just "the world" in a general sense, but you, personally and intimately) that He would rather take your sin upon Himself than write you off or risk losing you forever to a place where you are separated from His love -- hell.
If you don't agree with this statement, it either means you don't believe Jesus was God, don't believe you are a sinner,
or don't believe that the cross of Christ and the mercy of God are bigger than your sin. If you do, turn your heart back to God, pray for mercy, and then find it overflowing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

-Theology of the Body for Teens: Discovering God's Plan for Love and Life)
 
Under the Mercy,

Joe