ST. JOHN’S PARISH NEWSLETTER ePistle at www.creighton.edu\stjohns

Omaha’s Jesuit Parish located at Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178

Cornerstone laid 1887—Established as a Parish 1897—Designated a City Landmark 1981

MASS/RECONCILIATION TIMES 402-280-3030

PARISH OFFICE 402-280-3031

Pastor: Fr. Lorn Snow, S.J. 402-280-3262

Associate Pastor: Fr. Phil Amidon, S.J. 402-280-2206

Eucharist:

Monday- Friday 7:00 a.m. Main Church

No Mass during University Breaks

Monday—Friday 12 noon Main Church

Monday—Friday 5:00 p.m. Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ

Monday 9:00 p.m. Main Church**

Tuesday 9:00 p.m. Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ**

Saturday 7:00 a.m. Main Church **

12 Noon Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ

5:00 p.m. Main Church

(Anticipatory)

Sunday 8:00 a.m. Main Church

10:30 a.m. Main Church

4:30 p.m. Main Church**

8:30 p.m. Main Church**

10:00 p.m. Main Church**

**Academic Year Only—dates @www.creighton.edu\stjohns

Adult Faith Formation (Fall and Lenten Series)

Sunday 9:15 a.m. Conf. Room, LSJ

Youth Religious Education

Sunday 9:15—10:15 a.m. LSJ

Reconciliation:

Mon—Fri 12:30—1:00 p.m.

Saturday 4:00—5:00 p.m.

St. John’s Parish Staff Coco Osborne

Adult Faith Formation and interim -

Liturgy Coordinator cocoosborne@creighton.edu

Julie Carlson

Administrative Assistant 402-280-3031

Kathleen Denne

Business Manager 402-280-2975

Molly Mattingly

Music Director 402-280-2203

Sr. Barb Markey

Pastoral Minister 402-280-1499

Tom Everson

RCIA Coordinator kkad25@cox.net

Vivian Amu

Sacristan 402-280-2786

Jonathan Chiacchere stjohnsreligioused@gmail.com

Youth Religious Ed & Sacramental Prep

Scott Quinn

Youth Group scottquinn@creighton.edu

For more detailed information please refer to Parish

Brochure, located at all church entrances.

“Pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may speed forward and be glorified, as it did among you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith”

(2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

We have to remember that many people have as yet not received the gift of faith. I would like to believe that everyone is at some time offered the gift, but it may come only at the moment of death. Without faith there is not hope of eternal life. Most of us have known good people who are either agnostic (they were not sure about God’s existence) or atheists (they could not find in their experience any comprehension of faith or the ability to ask for it). Be-lievers are well-advised not to judge others, as Christ warns us (see Matthew 7:1). Unbelievers may be dealing with conflicts, problems, or other negative ex-periences in their past. We should be understanding of this… We must allow God to lead people, even if they make what seems to be a wrong turn on the road. Lord, we pray that your Word may reach into the hearts of those who do not yet believe.

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR

Living with Christ, October, 2016 Used with Permission

November 6, 2016 - Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Saturday 5:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday 4:30 p.m.

PRESIDER Fr. Coelho, S.J. Fr. Amidon, S.J. Fr. O’Meara, S.J. Fr. Simonds, S.J.

LITURGICAL ASSISTANT Mary Lee Brock Bob Austria Ann Cole Jacob Chapman

ALTAR SERVER Erin Lemar

LECTORS Susan Recker Jackie Ramos Kerry Tupper Anna Perll

Jane O’Brien Sam Crowley Christy Fast Erika Ruhnke

PRAYERS Sean Joyce-Whipp Sam Crowley Tom Berg Grace Wilson

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS G. Selk D. Keane B. Austria M. J. Slightam S. Toalson

S. Hansen L. Hayek B. Carlson P. Edney R. Wright B. McElenney

T. Joyce-Whipp M. Carlson K. Blecha T. Berg A. Bodeau

M. A. Greene-Walsh A. Haddad A. Lawler

B. & S. Selde C. Fast C. Pass

J. O’Brien K. Tupper

Liturgical Ministry Schedule— November 12-13, 2016 This schedule can also be accessed at St. John’s website—http://stjohns.creighton.edu

Readings for the week 7:1-2, 9-14 2:16—3:5 20:27-38

2 Mc 2 Thes Lk

Sunday

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary time

11/06

1:1-9 17:1-6

Ti Lk

Monday

11/07

2:1-8, 11-14 17:7-10

Ti Lk

Tuesday 11/08

47:1-2, 8-9, 12 3:9c-11, 16-17 2:13-22

Ez 1 Cor Jn

Wednesday The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

11/09

7-20 17:20-25

Phlm Lk

Thursday 11/10

4-9 17:26-37

2 Jn Lk

Friday

11/11

5-8 18:1-8

3 Jn Lk

Saturday

11/12

3:19-20a 3:7-12 21:5-19

Mal 2 Thes Lk

Sunday

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary time

11/13

Weekly Offering Report

Mass Intentions Nov. 7—12, 2016

7:00 AM (Main Church)

Monday

Tuesday Special Intention

Wednesday Josephine Giusto—deceased

Thursday

Friday Delores O’Dell—deceased

Saturday

12:00 Noon (Main Church)

Monday Jack & Shirley Doran Marcil—deceased

Tuesday Special Intention

Wednesday Jim Thomazin—deceased

Thursday

Friday Tristin Bonn—deceased

Saturday (LSJ’s)

5:00 PM (Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ’s)

Monday

Tuesday Special Intention

Wednesday Theresa McBride—deceased

Thursday

Friday

Thank you for your generous support for: St. John’s Build Fund

The special collection last weekend raised $2,541.22

The Second Collection this weekend is for: Archdiocesan Appeal

Please be as generous as you are able.

Steve Morris

Dan

Richard Grimit

Weekly Budget Goal 7,067.31 Annual Budget Goal 367,500.12

Weekend 10/29-30/2016 8,036.18 Fiscal Year-to-Date Goal 127,211.58

Above (below) weekly goal 968.87 Amount Collected YTD 118,689.14

Above (Below) YTD Goal ( 8,522.44)

St. John’s Fall Adult Faith Formation Series :

Faith beyond Belief Spirituality for Our Times editor Johannes Kaup

Lower St. John’s: 9:15-10:15 a.m November 13: “Where Are You Alive?...” and “What Self Do We Want to Radiate?...”

November 20: “Capital Confusions…” and “Saint, Sinner, and Called out…”

Please join us!

Dinner Presentation of: Seeded at God’s Hand: The Collected

Writings of Patrick Malone, S.J. in Lower St. John’s on Saturday, November 12 at 6 pm. Books cost $15. All are welcome. For a head count, please RSVP by Nov. 10 to:cocoosborne@creighton.edu

The India Partnership Event after Mass on Saturday, November 5 has been cancelled. We

will reschedule for sometime in the spring.

Memorial for the Deceased Throughout November a display area near the

baptismal font will be devoted to the memory of

deceased loved ones. We invite you to bring in photos

(framed or not) of your loved ones, and

strongly encourage photos of those who

have died this past year. Additionally,

the St. John’s Book of Remembrance

will be placed with the photos so that

you can record the names of your loved

ones who have died. These names will

be remembered at Masses during

November.

The Outreach Commission is looking for volunteers interested in visiting parishioners who are homebound or hospitalized. You do not need to be an EME. Please contact the parish office if you are willing to help or if you would like additional information.

St. John’s Health Fair

On Sunday, November 20th from 9 am until 1 pm, the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions will host a health fair in Kateri Hall (Lower St. John’s). We will have booths about balance, blood pressure and heart health, diabetes awareness, and safe medicine use and disposal. The booths will have activities for all ages, children through adults. If you have any questions, please contact Jenny Tilleman, Pharm.D. (402-203-2554).

ST. JOHN’S TO HOST ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR STUDENTS

Volunteers willing to roast a turkey or bring salads or deserts to the annual St. John’s Church Thanksgiving dinner for Creighton students should sign up on sheets at the church. The dinner will be from 5-6:30 on Wednesday, Nov. 23 in Lower St. John’s. Every year several hundred students who cannot go home for the holiday enjoy a free traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

For further information email Bill Mullen at bmullen@wesandwilly.com or Janet Mullen at jmullen@wesandwilly.com.

St. John’s Day of Service: December 3, 2016 On Saturday, December 3, the parish will celebrate the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, who co-founded the Jesuits, with a Day of Service. We invite individuals, couples and families to take part in service projects with the organizations such as Siena/Francis House, Juan Diego Center, Quality Living, Inc. (QLI), Notre Dame Sisters, Servants of Mary, and Sisters of Mercy. We will also gather for Mass at St. John’s followed by dinner in the Skutt Student Center. To participate, please complete and return the enclosed RSVP form by NOVEMBER 13, 2016.

Voices of Omaha Present 48th performance of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, November 20 at 3:00

p.m. at the Holland Center. Doors open to the public about 2:30 p.m. (Use 12th and 13th street entrances) FREE ADMISSION!

Come and join us for this inspiring concert!

Young Catholic Professionals Interested in networking

with Catholic professionals while learning from executives? If you are between 20-39 years old, join us at St. Charles Borromeo (7790 S. 192nd St. in Gretna) at 7 pm on Tuesday, November 15th! Drinks and appetizers will be provided. Locations and speakers vary monthly. For more information and to RSVP, go to

YCPOmaha.org or "YCP Omaha" on Facebook. Event is FREE!

Food For Thought

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14 2 Thes 2:16—3:5 Lk 20:27-38

“…the apple of your eye…”

Hard to imagine worse than a mother witnessing the torture and death of her sons as explicitly told in today’s readings of

Maccabees. Yet tragically it still occurs today. ( consult 2 Maccabees chapter 7.)

A serious accident affected our family. As a mother and grandmother, I felt numb to my core. How could the rest of the world go on normally when my world was shattered? I felt paralyzed and initially could not pray. Slowly, gradually a new normal took

shape. Faithful, loving family, friends and neighbors were present to us.

It is said : “time heals…”. It is much more than time.

We hear in the readings from Maccabees, ”…it was not I (mother) who gave you (sons) breath and life….the Creator of the universe shaped the beginning of mankind …in his mercy, he will give you back both breath and life…”. We hear of her “hope in the Lord”. She was “filled with a noble Spirit (courage)…”. “…God has compassion on us…” “…he (God) will have pity on his servants.” This mother and her sons willingly endured martyrdom, ”…rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.” The ‘law’

was central to the Jewish community.

Up until the writing of the 2 books of Maccabees, written in the last 100 years before the birth of Jesus, the idea of an afterlife was foreign to most Jews. And mercy was something one man showed to another – a master to his slave. This woman and her sons demonstrate something new - an unquestionable belief in eternal life. One of the sons says, “…the King (God) of the world will raise us up to live again forever.” The mother speaks of God’s mercy and of their courage as coming from God. She did not beg

for mercy, not even for her children, from their captors, but in faith trusted in the mercy of the Yahweh.

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians we hear of a more intimate relationship between God and his people. “…Jesus Christ…and

God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope…”

In the gospel of Luke we hear “…those who are deemed worthy to attain …the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are

given in marriage…”

Maccabees addresses eternal salvation, a new concept for most Jews. Luke refers not only of the sacredness of human relation-ships, but more importantly the supremacy of our relationship with God. Paul mentions the love of both Jesus and his Father for “us”. Love between God and man was not a common idea among many Jews. The mutual relationship was built on faithfulness, not love. Whether it is between a mother and her children or between spouses, no human relationship supersedes our unique, sacred, intimate, loving relationship with God. It does not matter to whom we are married or how many times we have been

married. It is through loving, trusting, faithful intimacy with God that we are able to endure the sorrows of life and relish its joys.

As for me, I soon realized that my prayer originated in my lived experiences of faith and trust in God. My experiences of God ’s gentle mercy. My unique, intimate loving relationship with God. I knew that Jesus, the Lord, the Father, would be with me as I

continued to walk with courage nourished by the Spirit.

In summary, in today’s readings we hear initially of the faith, hope, courage and the mercy of God. Building on this, we hear of the sacredness of relationships – human and divine. In the letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians we hear of love “…our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us …”. We hear that “the Lord is faithful; and “…We are confident … in the Lord…” . We hear God referred to as “Father” . Father is a personal title indicating a uniquely intimate relationship. Not only a faithful salvific God, but a God near and with, caring and loving. As with this mother and her sons, we also look with confidence in “being raised up by him.” We share not only in the confidence of eternal salvation, but also in experiences of the compassionate, loving presence of God in our daily earthly lives. Our God desires an intimate relationship with each one of us,

with me.

Todays Good-News: God loves me, God desires me and I am

“… the apple of your (God’s) eye”.

Joan Blandin Howard

November 6, 2016