Discovering The Richness Of Morning Offering

From the Pastor’s Desk My Dear People: I can never tire of two pictures in my mind. One is the painting by Steve Ardovino of the crucified Christ in the clouds being offered to our heavenly Father in sacrifice. The other picture in my mind is from the Mother’s Day Out on retreat, when each teacher wrote their crosses on a piece of paper shaped like a cross. Carrying these crosses with them they walked up a hill making the Stations of the Cross. At the top of the hill they put them in a container and they were burned, offering them to our heavenly Father. Surely, we all know that heaven is another dimension of life more real than this life. However, since the beginning of man we think of the sky as heaven because it is above us as God is so high above us. For the Israelites in the Old Testament there were five different acts of worship. One of these was the Holocaust. It was burning the offering and letting the smoke rise to the heavens as an offering to our heavenly Father. So, the crosses of each teacher were sent up in smoke, an offering to God. Some people wonder why we are on this earth. What is the purpose of life? The sacred scriptures, especially Jesus in the New Testament, continue to remind us that we are here to worship God, to offer Him praise and adoration, to offer Him our hardships as well as our joys, and to help other people as a service to Him. Since the language of love is sacrifice, Jesus sacrificed for us; we need to sacrifice for Him. It is our love relationship with God. The Morning Offering is my second favorite prayer. It is an offering in union with the offering of Jesus’ blood at Mass for our sins. The prayer says that in union with the blood of Jesus we offer our own prayers, works, joys and suffering to Him. For the glory of His name For the reparation of our sins For the conversion of sinners

For the union of all Christians And for our final union with Him in heaven Since the prayer offering is made in union with the blood of Jesus offered at every Mass, it is more acceptable. Not everyone has the opportunity for daily Mass. For most Catholics the Sunday Mass is the highlight of the week. It is what makes the personal offering of ourselves so acceptable in the eyes of God. We unite our offering with the offering of Jesus. At Mass the priest says, “Pray my brothers and sisters that your sacrifice and mine may be acceptable to God, the Father Almighty.” We know that the offering of Jesus to the Father is most acceptable. It is our offering that we pray will be acceptable to the Father. No wonder the Church teaches that the Mass is the summit and source of our Catholic faith. No wonder Catholics feel the obligation of Sunday Mass. No wonder the Mass is my first favorite prayer. May all the Masses we offer on this earth with devotion and commitment be the reasons that Jesus will take us straight to heaven when we leave this earth. With prayers and blessings, Father Muller

MASS INTENTIONS Monday, Sept. 8 Tuesday, Sept. 9 Wednesday, Sept. 10 Thursday, Sept. 11 Friday, Sept. 12 Saturday, Sept. 13 Sunday, Sept. 14

Ernie Eltz Glynn West Special Intention Ernie Eltz Donors to the OLS School Foundation Joe Milazzo Pauline Alfano Ernie Eltz Joseph Campanotta Charles Woods Mary Breslin Josephine Sicola People of the Parish Mary Cusimano

The schedule for altar servers, lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion will soon be prepared for the months November through February. The following information is requested prior to October 1: 1. Weekends you are not available to serve 2. Any changes you want to make in the times you are scheduled to serve 3. Preference, if any, for the time you serve at Christmas or New Year’s Masses Kent Graeve 423-0092 [email protected]

Sodality Board Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 11th, at 9:00 AM in the Sodality Room in the Family Life Center. If you have questions, please contact Joan Anderson - 942-5764.

Adult Education Program This Sunday, September 7th, Dr. Dale Wisely will speak on the topic, "Who's Homework Is It Any Way?"10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Light refreshments served. The speakers and topics for upcoming Sundays are as follows: September 14 - "Discovering the Richness of Prayer" presented by Amy Welborn, now a Birmingham resident and member of Our Lady of Sorrows, whose spiritual writings are familiar to readers of the "Living Faith" daily devotional booklet. She is also the author of sixteen books on a variety of Catholic topics. This session will be held in the Family Life Center. September 21 - "Sabbath Rest and Delight" presented by Sister Mary McGehee, O.S.B., a well-known member of the Benedictine Sisters community at Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, and a gifted speaker and writer on spirituality. September 28 - "St. Paul's Guide for Daily Living", presented by Michael Dubruiel. He recently joined Bishop Robert Baker's staff as Director of New Evangelization and is an experienced writer and speaker on Catholic subjects. He is also the husband of Amy Welborn, and a member of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Our Lady of Grace Altar Guild will have its monthly meeting on Monday, September 8th, at 10:30 a.m. in the Sodality Room of the Family Life Center. Please remember to bring canned goods, toiletries and magazines. Immaculate Heart of Mary Altar Guild will have their first meeting on Tuesday, September 9th, at 6:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center Sodality Room. The meeting portion will start at 6:30 p.m. We will discuss upcoming events and plan for our new year. New members are welcome. Any questions please contact Wendy Green 4927058. Welcome Back! Please join us for our first meeting of Madonna and Child Altar Guild. The meeting is Friday, September 12, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. in the Sodality Room of the Family Life Center. We will begin with the Rosary at 9:00 a.m. and then have time to socialize. We have a lot of wonderful speakers lined up for the year. Please bring something to eat or drink to share. We will be collecting school supplies for The Catholic Center of Concern. A nursery is provided. To make nursery reservations, please call Lauren Elliott at 989-1800 or email Lauren at [email protected] by noon on Wednesday, September 10, 2008. We hope to see you there! Bring a friend! Classes begin this Sunday for PSR and Growing with God. PSR classes begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 11:15 a.m. Growing with God classes begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m. Parents with children in grades K4 through 2nd grade must bring their children to their class and pick them up for their safety.

BIBLE STUDY Pope Benedict XVI has recently stated he believes regular reading of the Bible by Catholics is critical for spiritual formation. Pope Benedict goes on to say, “reading, interpreting and living the words of scripture are fundamental to the faith life of Christians”. With this guidance from our Holy Father all are invited to our Wednesday night Bible Study. During “This Year of St. Paul,” we will be studying St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. Our study of this wonderfully inspired book promises to be spiritually invigorating as we grow together in our faith journey. We will meet each Wednesday evening at 7:00 P.M., beginning September 17 in the Family Life Center. For additional information or questions please contact Kent Graeve 423-0092 [email protected].

held on Thursday nights beginning on October 16th and ending on the night of November 27th. Prior to the sessions we will have light refreshments. Each session will begin at 6:30 and end at 8:30. Everyone is invited. For information please email Randy Tolliver at [email protected] .You may call 9567048. Father Pacwa’s book is required reading.

CHAPEL OF OUR SAVIOR The Chapel needs permanent Committed Adorers for: Monday at 8:00 PM (To Share Hour) Monday at Midnight to 1:00 AM (To Share Hour) Friday at 1:00 pm (Share Hour) Our goal is to have at least 2 people on each hour. Please call Ida Wilker at 933-2281 or Mary Claire Brouillette at 871-2909. "In the Eucharist is all the power that created the universe and all the love that redeemed it!" - Msgr. Franklin Hurd

40 DAYS FOR LIFE Christians throughout Birmingham are invited to take part in the national 40 Days for Life effort from September 24th through November 2nd. In addition to forty days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion in America, please consider volunteering to pray outside our local abortion facilities for one or more hours during the forty days, and spread the word to others about this important life-saving effort. There will be a Celebration Banquet following the 40 Days Event on November 13th. To get more information or to volunteer to help, please contact Sue at 256-3387316 or go to the web site www.40daysforlife.brimingham.com to sign up.

JOHN CARROLL ATHLETIC BOOSTERS GOLF CLASSIC will be held on Monday, September 22, at Ballantrae Golf Club. Luncheon is at 11:30 a.m. and tee time is 1:00 p.m. The cost is $500 per foursome or $125 per golfer. Phone 940-2400 A LETTER OF THANKS FROM SAINT PATRICK CHURCH IN IOWA is posted in the vestibule of the church.

John Carroll graduates from the class of 1988 are planning a reunion November 22nd... Please sign up on www.johncarrollhs.ning.com to receive important information about the reunion. Once signed up you need to add groups - class of 1988. If you have any questions please call Kathy Wimberly Mann at 1-205-747-0514 or email her at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you in November.

PRAY FOR VOCATIONS Do you know the power of prayer within a group? Join with others to pray for an increase of vocations to ordained ministry and the consecrated life. (Matthew 18-15-20) For Church groups and organizations, may they gather in the name of Jesus and receive the power to carry on His mission, we pray to the Lord. This ad is sponsored by the Serra Club.

ST. PAUL AND THE SACRAMENTS Please join us at Our Lady of Sorrows where beginning October the first of seven sessions will be presented on St. Paul and the Sacraments. The sessions are based primarily on the recent book, St. Paul/The Steward of the Mysteries, by Father Pacwa. The successive sessions will be