May 17, 2020

Visit: www.stjoan.com 4537

Pastor’s 2 Cents From: Fr. Jim DeBruycker

The Gospel this Sunday is preparing us for the upcoming feasts of the Ascension and the Pentecost. Jesus is letting his disciples know he is about to leave but not to worry…he will be with them in a new way in Spirit. As usual, the disciples do not know what he is talking about and as typical humans, they try both to pretending they are not hearing what he is saying and panicking at the same time.

My sister has a saying: “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” We usually hang on until we find another alternative-or a way out. Actually, we often seem to do our best work in the middle of a crisis.

I have frequently told the story of the first time I was in charge of a job working at Western Electric. I was supposed to put up the auxiliary framework for incoming bays of equipment to fill a room the size of the St. Joan Gym. The bays were made of steel and were about eight feet tall and 40 inches wide. They were fastened to the concrete floor with bolts and hung from steel bars suspended from the ceiling by threaded rod.

Trying to show off, I decided to cut the threaded rods, about 200 of them, ahead of time. Not being very skilled, I forgot to include the fact that a poured concrete floor can vary in depth over a large surface. When I went to suspend the steel bars from the threaded rods to the required height, I found out I ran out of thread on many of the rods. PANIC!

I had over a hundred bays of equipment being shipped in three days and no place to hang them. I had to find over a hundred ½ inch X 36 inch threaded rods. I went to one part of the office where they were getting rid of some old equipment and found some rods there. I rode around town to other offices and salvaged rods from their stock rooms and called every Western Electric supervisor I could find in the book to get the rest. Somehow I found enough and then stayed all night replacing the too-short rods.

My boss declared me an idiot…but resourceful. It was one of those experiences where one can truly say I learned more from my mistakes than I would have if I had done it right in the first place. Terror has a way of imprinting knowledge on us. One of the beauties of old age is we accumulate a lot from these experiences. Much of wisdom is nothing more than stupid mistakes we managed to survive.

Basically, Jesus is telling his disciples it’s time to make mistakes by doing the loving thing. ‘I’ll be there in Spirit to make you resourceful and resilient. I will always forgive. I love it when you make a fool of yourself trying to do the loving and right thing.’

I still have about twenty ½ inch threaded rods in my garage.

No Gathering for Masses through May 17. No meetings or gatherings through May 17.

Parish Center will be open 9:00am - 3:00pm Monday thru Friday

Food Shelf Donations Are Needed: We will continue to accept non-perishable food items. They can be dropped off Monday thru Friday, 9am - 3pm in the bins in the Parish Center entry. Your food offerings are donated to the Foodshelf at Sabathani Community Center each week. Thank you for your willingness to help those in need.

Baptisms celebrated in February and March: Barry Basil, Clara Batres, Finley Gallagher, Theodore Gunnel

Scripture Readings:

Sun, May 17: Acts 8:5-8,14-17; 1 Pet 3:15-18; John 14:15-21 Mon, May 18: Acts 16:11-15; John 1:26-16:4a Tue, May 19: Acts 16:22-34; John 16:5-11 Wed, May 20: Acts 17:15, 22-18:1; John 16:12-15 Thu, May 21: Acts 1:1-11, Eph 1:17-23; Mat 28:16-20 Fri, May 22: Acts 18:9-18; John 16:20-23 Sat, May 23: Acts 18:23-28; John 16:23b-28 Sun, May 24: Acts 1:12-14; 1 Pet 4:13-16; John 17:1-11a

Looking Ahead…

Chuck Abramson, Cheryl Adams, Steve Ahlman, Arlene Alexson, Ann Allen, Carol Anderson, Molly McLaughlin Antila, Dennis Barta, Dave Benson, Phyllis Berninger, Elaine Boehm, Marcia Boehnlein, Patty Brennan, Brent, Lorraine Bryant, Jonathan Bulthuis, Pam Burd, Betty Byrne, Catharine C.,

George C., David Carroll, Jim Cassidy, Dayna Cell, Mary Cermak, Pat Clancy, Bob Corrick, Steve Cross, Culver family, Megan Daoust, Elizabeth Davidson, Larry Dease, Jim DeBruycker, Colleen Dooley, Rosemary Drees, Ava Dunlay, Kathie DuRocher, Henry F., Patricia Forster,

Carol Fourre, John & Margaret Frees, Michelle Fries, Kate Gilbert, Heidi Gregorich, Ron Guillfoile, Kate H., Mary Hale-Haniff, Claire Hayes, Isaiah Henry, Brad Hinker, Jim Hinton, Megan Hoffman, Jan Horner, Kathy Horner, Kathy Itzin, Jeanine, John K., Tom Keating, Glen Kelley,

Chuck Kennedy, John Kingston, Sage Kirscht, Larry Kitts, Dan Kleber, Steve Kremer, Helen LaFavor, Amy Lainus, Melva Larson, Darlene Lawson, Margaret Lulic, Alex M., Maureen, Dawn McCelland, Joaquin Mendez, Kate Meyer, Bob Miller, Rita Miller, Bev Moran, Paige More, Royce Morrissette,

Terry Muelken, Ted Mueller, Annie Mutuura Kamau, Nate, Randy Naae, Rita Nelson, Craig Nordby, Dick Olson, Paul Olvera, Mike O’Rourke, Colette Ott, Jacques Parent, Pam Paul, Alice Pirola, Rita, Wendy R., Graham & Nancy Rattrsy, Carol Reiland, Jack Riebel, Jean Rieck, Gina Romani,

Donald & Susan Roufs, Dorothy Rowe, Pat Russell, Sri, Ottavio Savina, Don Schafer, Dale Schmidkee, Carter Schmidt, Phil Schmidt, Colleen Schroeder,Betty Scully, Gary Sheppard, Paul Skrip, Sam Slagerman, Harold Sonnek, Teddy Sparrman, Joan Speltz, Ross Spriggs,

Doug Stahlke, Vivian Steblay, Carson Stier, Nancy Stockhaus, Rick Streng, Joleen Strosahl, Beth Swanson, Gabe T, Grayson Taylor, Matthew Tennant, Troy, Echo Thoren, Glo Tonskemper, Al Traynham, Linda Underhill, Carin Vagle, Leroy Vague, Dave Velasco, Barbara Verthein, Floyd Ward, Pam Washington, Marlys Weber, Lee Weinberger, Bennett Wentworth, Mary White, Ambassador Ross Wilson, Jim & Jerry Wohnoutka,

Jim Wolfe, Morley Woodruff, Michele Wylie, Denise Wyttenbach, Sarah Yoder, Curt Youngren, Dave Youngren, Annemaire & Ava Zubrzycki, Bridget Zvirin

Prayer Corner Requests: To keep prayer requests current, names will be included in the bulletin for four weeks and then removed.

Prayer Corner: Please remember in your prayers those who are in need of healing:

Our Liturgies from April through today’s will be available through the St. Joan of Arc website. Celebrate virtually with Fr. DeBruycker , Fr. Cassidy and the SJA community .

Watch online at www.stjoan.com.

Families, tune in to the video liturgies designed for families!

Summary of contributions for the week and fiscal year. Includes plate, envelopes and estimated Sustaining Member payments.

Week of May 4– May 10, 2020 Actual $30,065 Budget $27,374 Prior Year Actual $27,877

Year to Date (July 1 – May 10, 2020) Actual $1,885,962 Budget $1,791,043 Prior Year Actual $1,796,558

THANK YOU for your continued generosity!!

So much has been and will continue to be, for some time , can-celled: sports, concerts, plays, worship services, rallies, travel, meetings, classes, family gatherings, and so much more. How-ever... Love has not been cancelled. Mercy has not been cancelled. Prayer has not been cancelled. Attentiveness has not been cancelled. Goodness has not been cancelled. Thanksgiving has not been cancelled. Loving relationships have not been cancelled. Music has not been cancelled. Conversations have not been cancelled. Learning has not been cancelled. Courage has not been cancelled. Families have not been cancelled. Faith has not been cancelled. Hope has not been cancelled. And...God's presence with us, has not been cancelled

-David Haas

Help parishioners in need! If you are able to help members in our community with things like picking up & delivering groceries and such, please contact Sherri Stella at 612.823.8205 ext. 231 or sstella@stjoan.com.

Intro to SJA ISAIAH Zoom Call: On Monday, June 1, join our SJA ISAIAH Core Team for a Zoom call from 4:30 - 5:30pm. We want to meet parishioners we don't know (or haven't seen for a while!), and we want to share the story of ISAIAH, a multifaith organization that leads our state in the work for economic, racial and social justice. SJA is a member congregation of ISAIAH, and we are organizing through this summer to engage thousands of Minnesotans in the upcoming elections, grounded in our belief that we can build a democracy and an economy that serves everyone. As we have hunkered down during this COVID pandemic, ISAIAH has been hosting Zoom calls with state leaders including Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, MN Attorney General Keith Ellison and Commissioner of MN Management and Budget Myron Frans. What we keep hearing is that we need to be louder! We speak the language of human dignity and the common good, and we continue to amplify our message. Please join us. FFI, contact Julie Madden at the parish center.

WAITING…BREATHING…LIVING

Inhale to the count of three through your nose – allowing your abdomen to expand. Exhale to the count of six through your mouth – allowing your abdomen to contract.

Inhale…Exhale Inhale…Exhale Be Here Now.

The shift between 60 degree sunny weather to 30 degree snowy weather continues to remind us that we are not in charge and how quickly things change moment by moment. And we are still waiting. Hopefully our journey together through Rev. Holly W. Whitcomb’s book, Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting, is helping us discern – How do I respond to waiting? and What am I waiting for now?, as well as explore the possible gifts of active waiting. Patience – calls us to change our mindsets to engage waiting as an opportunity to continually trust in God’s time and pray for strength, clarity, and peace. Waiting teaches us to live in small increments.

How am I waiting for God? and How is God waiting for me?

Loss of Control – teaches us to depend on one another, allows us to surrender to grief, teaches us resilience, reminds us God is in control. Waiting offers us a chance to let go.

What do I need to let go of in my current waiting? Living in the Present – invites us to relinquish worry, teaches us to be faithful in small things. Waiting teaches us to dwell fully where we are. Be Here Now.

What can I find to appreciate in the “now” while I’m waiting?

Compassion – reminds us we are not alone, teaches us to receive, allows us to be seen for who we really are, helps us gather strength from others, offers us hope. Waiting offers us many opportunities for giving and receiving compassion – being “with” others and ourselves.

How am I experiencing compassion for others as I wait? and How am I engaging in self-compassion?

Gratitude – turns obstacles into opportunities, moves us beyond entitlement, opens our eyes to the blessings of small things. Wait-ing teaches us to appreciate those pieces of our lives that have gracefully fallen into place.

I am grateful for…

Humility – leads us to love rather than achievement, to honor others, to live without judgment, to honest assessment. Waiting is a spiritual opening to recognize our powerlessness.

What is my current waiting teaching me about humility?

Trust in God – an opportunity to let go of fear, an invitation to trust in love and to pray, faith. Waiting teaches us to live in trust. How can I use my waiting to practice trusting God’s love?

We are not alone. God is with us. We are with each other.

Peace Be With You…

Cynthia Bailey Manns, Adult Learning Director